ACTIONS WERE TAKEN ON NAIA BED BUGS ISSUE

Passengers waiting area at NAIA (Photo courtesy of Rosette Adel/Philippine Star)

A bed bug infestation was reported on Terminals 2 and 3 at Ninoy Aquino National Airport when two passengers posted on social media the red bite marks on their skin. Actions were taken by the Manila International Airport Authority, which apologizes to the passengers who were affected.

Bed bugs, or "surot,” are small parasitic insects that usually infest around or in dark areas where people sleep, like sofas or beds, and in other furniture. It can be on houses, buses, rooms, and ships.

These insects live solely on the blood of their victims’ people and animals, which can cause itchiness and a red spot on the bite. Even without a blood meal, it can survive for several months. 

The passengers affected by the infestation were receiving medical assistance from the medical teams at MIAA.

In regards to the complaint, the MIAA has received the report, and the seats that had bed bugs have been permanently removed. They are also putting up pest control in the airport, making sure that they will be disinfected. An enhancement of sanitation measures and a thorough facility inspection will be conducted by the MIAA as instructed.

In a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, the president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, James Montenegro, said that it is embarrassing, but they hope that this will be an isolated case and will not be a big issue since it is not the first time that an establishment in the country had bed bugs.

They removed the chair already, and they hope they disinfect the airport to stop the spread of bed bugs, he added.

Source: ABS-CBN News

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