Wazzup Pilipinas!
Pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Transportation – Manila International Airport Authority (DOTr – MIAA) and all airlines operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Cebu Pacific has updated its booking systems to ensure that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) shall be exempt from paying terminal fee upon online booking of tickets.
Starting July 8, OFWs who choose to book their flights via the Cebu Pacific mobile app only need to tick a box before payment is processed to be exempted from paying the Php550 International Passenger Service Charge (IPSC) or terminal fee. Exemption has been applied to hotline and website transactions since April.
Under the MOA, the fee shall be waived for OFWs, pilgrims, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) delegates, and others authorized by law and the Office of the President to travel outside the Philippines. Effective 30 April 2017, exemption was initially honored upon face to face purchase of tickets, but by the end of July, the exemption was also applied to online purchases. Prior to this, migrant workers and delegates needed to queue for refund when departing from NAIA.
Exempted passengers are required to present valid documents upon check in to verify their eligibility for exemption.
The MOA was signed last 15 March 2017 with all 40 airlines operating in NAIA agreeing to make the exemption automatic upon booking. The move is consistent with the objectives of the DOTr and the directive of President Duterte to give OFWs a seamless and hassle-free experience at the airport.
It can be recalled that the IPSC Integration Project implemented in February 2015 was met with opposition from concerned OFW groups and advocates as it required OFWs to go through a refund process.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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