Shape up or ship out.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has initiated a meeting with housekeeping and pest control service contractors and gave an ultimatum to perform according to the terms of their contracts or face being banned from future project biddings.
The meeting held Monday was attended by terminal administrators, service contractors, and health experts from the Bureau of Quarantine and MIAA Medical Team to review the current state of sanitation services in four terminals.
Terminal administration groups have been instructed to deploy more inspectors to monitor and supervise the work of contractors and re-evaluate the effectiveness of current housekeeping and pest control standard operating procedures in light of the increasing volume of people and changing conditions inside the terminals.
The MIAA is set to revise the Terms of Reference (TOR) for service contracts, imposing stiffer and higher penalties for liquidated damages.
Contractors will be required to submit weekly and monthly commitments of work to be done and establish an immediate response mechanism through close coordination between contractors and MIAA management.
The airport chief expressed disappointment over recent sightings of pests and insects in Terminals 2 and 3 but clarified that the ultimatum was to remind contractors about the accountability clauses in their service agreements with the MIAA.
Most housekeeping and pest control contracts of MIAA are due to expire this year.
In addition, the newly appointed senior assistant general manager, Beng Reyes, has been tasked to initiate the revival of the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee (IACC) and designated as chairperson.
The administration of NAIA meanwhile has been asked not to hold janitors and housekeeping staff accountable for the infestation.
This after Ines expressed dissatisfaction with the way they handled their jobs at the airport terminals and is considering revoking their contracts.
“We hope this (contract revocation) will not push through. What will happen to us after that? Our family is poor and struggling, and this is only the source of our income,” a housekeeping worker said.
Another airport employee, a 45-year-old janitress, admitted there was a moment she experienced a rat infestation over a decade ago, leading to passengers screaming at Terminal 1.
During a radio interview on Monday, Ines stated that there were lapses on the part of the housekeeping and pest control units to clean and maintain the four terminal facilities properly.
He ordered his men to conduct an investigation and review the contracts of private contractors involved in house maintenance and pest control.
Air travelers took to social media to complain about being bitten by bed bugs on the benches in the departure area of NAIA Terminal 2. A few days later, another incident was reported, where passengers spotted a rat in Terminal 3.
Ines earlier came up with a public apology to the passengers victimized by the infestation and ordered his men to conduct the investigation and review the contracts of private contractors involved in house maintenance and pest control.
