Airport challenge EDITORIAL

THE easing of travel rules will certainly increase foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines.

Airlines are the first to acknowledge the removal of vaccine certificate requirement for inbound foreign travelers will lead to a busier travel sector.

The vaccine proof has served as the most essential travel requirement for foreign visitors during the pandemic. On many occasions, however, the requisite has discouraged potential foreign tourists to visit the Philippines. With the global pandemic essentially over and revenge travel on the minds of tourists, the Philippines can expect a sort of a tourism renaissance in the coming months. International visitor arrivals reached 3.41 million as of Aug. 13, or already about 70 percent of the government’s full-year target of 4.8 million.

The long queues at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the nation’s

I ASSOCIATE August with Taylor Swift, National Heroes Day, and the Aquinos (Ninoy and Cory); all of them due to obvious reasons. I add to that Lino Rivera, my colleague in Ateneo de Manila and friend of many years. Swift has a song called august in her album folklore.

National Heroes’ Day is celebrated in the same month.

And two Aquinos, the wife and husband, died in August as well.

Lino passed and left us last August 3, 2023

Cory Aquino’s anniversary comes first in literal terms.

She passed away on August 1 of 2009.

The fact that that is now more than a decade ago baffles me.

When she died, many lined up to see her at the wake.

Over 150,000 people marched to Bayan Ko during her funeral procession. Filipinos admired her and kept her close to their hearts even far after her presidency –the widow-turned president.

Cory Aquino was far from perfect, especially as a leader.

After months of presidency, the Filipinos started doubting her capabilities as we appear to float in the wreckage of the dictatorship.

For example, there was a lack of support for martial law survivors seeking justice after the dictatorship was toppled.

In fact, many military offenders, the ones who had the most blood on their hands, were left running free.

In the entire span of her administration, Aquino seemed to have a very loose grip on the military, allowing them to remain hostile.

There was the infamous Mendiola massacre, the assassinations of Rolando Olalia and Lean Alejandro, and the collapse of peace talks with the communists.

However, despite these flaws, many Filipinos still saw her as a leader with honesty and integrity. She tried with the best that she could.

After all, she was a widow-turned president. For one, she made sure to take care of the transition from a dictatorship to a democracy.

Marcos Sr. was barred by the 1935

A study by vacation rental management company Casago has just named the NAIA among the worst airports in Asia after passengers were forced to wait in long lines premier airport, confirm the increase in flights and passenger traffic.

The Christmas holiday season, which is just four months away, and the lax COVID-19 travel rules are expected to result in bigger traffic at the NAIA.

How the airport will respond to the challenge will be interesting to note.

Constitution from seeking a third term in presidency.

Because of this, he declared martial law, abolished the then-current Constitution and replaced it with the 1973 Constitution.

This allowed him to be president for longer and gave more state power to him.

As one of Aquino’s first Proclamations as president, she abolished the 1973 Constitution and immediately assigned people to work on a more democratic Constitution.

Cory Aquino is both human and a symbol, and I see value in both of these that she was and has become

This led to the 1987 Constitution. She put human rights safeguards back up as well and the Philippines finally saw a decrease in human rights violations. She did good things while also failing to meet other expectations.

It is undeniable that Cory Aquino was an imperfect president.

But I think what is so important to keep in mind is that while Cory Aquino is flawed, she tried.

In fact, she must have tried hard.

Before she finally decided to run for president, she responded to Benjamin Brown who was convincing her to consider,

“What do I know about being president?”

And yet, even with the largeness of the challenge, even with the glaring fact that she could fail, she took it on.

It is inspiring to think of how we can try even though we are flawed.

And this act of trying can do so much more than we can imagine.

A study by vacation rental management company Casago has just named the NAIA among the worst airports in Asia after passengers were forced to wait in long lines.

Casago “analyzed passenger reviews about queuing times rated on a scale of 1 star to 5 stars on airlinequality.com, taking into consideration only airports with 20 or more passenger reviews.”

NAIA, according to the study, ranked 8th among the 10 worst airports in Asia, with just 18 percent of passengers highly approving the queuing time in the airport.

Singapore’s Changi International Airport, meanwhile, is considered the world’s best in providing smooth experience to passengers after 74 percent of travelers gave it 4 to 5 stars ratings in the travel website.

The NAIA, like some global airports, may argue it is struggling to meet the bigger post-pandemic demand after three years of lockdown restrictions.

For NAIA, the big influx of foreign travelers is causing flight delays and bottlenecks in the form of long queues.

Changi International Airport, a much busier airport, seems to be more capable of handling the task.

Trying to be good and do good is a choice we constantly have to make; our mistakes do not ever erase these attempts.

Another thing I would like to remember as we look back on Cory Aquino’s life is that she has become more than a person.

When she decided to run against the dictator, she became a symbol.

While putting human beings on pedestals only leads to disappointment, I also acknowledge the importance of the image she evoked.

To a people who has been oppressed, violated, and exploited, she became a potent image of hope.

And to a people who has gone through more than a decade of suffering, a potent image of hope is not only valuable, but vital for survival.

Cory Aquino’s life serves as a reminder that one, we can be flawed and yet try to be good, and two, when adversity is swallowing a people, a symbol of hope can topple a dictatorship and keep them going.

Cory Aquino is both human and a symbol, and I see value in both of these that she was and has become.

In this regard, I would like to honor Lino Rivera, who was inspired and closely associated with Cory Aquino. They had a shared vision and mission for the country and were faithful to that until the end of their lives.

I have followed Lino’s struggle with illness through decades and always wondered where his commitment, energy, and hopeful demeanor come from.

Being a younger “classmate” of Lino in struggling with illness, he was the model, the North Star for how to live meaningfully and productively while burdened by physical limitations.

I pray that I will be able to live the same way in my remaining years.

Website: tonylavina.com. Facebook: tonylavs X: tonylavs more meaningful.

In this learning journey, the development of tailor-made responses that will not only take into account the needs and vulnerabilities of communities but also their strengths, capacities, and assets will be a key to success.

However, it would be a mistake to think the solution to humanitarian crises is, simply, more humanitarian support. No. The solution will always be political in nature. In fact, investing in good governance will always be critical. This means the capacity to better prevent conflict and improve resilience to natural disasters, as well as the capacity to find and sustain durable solutions to those most affected and most in need.

Effective and accountable governance mechanisms form the bedrock upon which prosperous and resilient societies are built. By fostering transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, we lay the groundwork for sustainable development and the prevention of crises before they escalate.

The proactive identification and mitigation of risks are instrumental in circumventing the impacts of crises.

Allocating resources toward preventive measures can potentially avert ill effects.

Finally, upholding the dignity and rights of every individual, regardless of circumstance, not only aligns with our moral compass but also contributes to stability, inclusivity, and sustainable development.

Efforts also need to target those who face particular risks in humanitarian contexts, including women and persons with disabilities.

The Philippines has faced these problems through the years.

And humanitarian actions in the country are being practiced in all seasons using different strategies and approaches.

Recently, the humanitarian country team in the Philippines has been chosen along with other three country teams (Colombia, Niger, and South Sudan) to contribute to the improvement of the humanitarian system from their specific perspectives.

The project, known as the “Enhancing Resilient Communities Flagship Initiative” will make the most of the longstanding experience of Filipino institutions and organizations in addressing the humanitarian impact of a wide range of shocks.

Still more important, the initiative will be an opportunity to bring together the humanitarian and development communities and overcome artificial silos created by a very narrow aid architecture.

Experience shows that the highly standardized humanitarian industry has sometimes precooked solutions that were disconnected from the socioeconomic and cultural specifics of affected communities.

As smartly framed by a recent report, just listening to communities is not enough to transform the prevailing humanitarian system. Communities, as first responders, are expected to be part of the decision-making process and not just the subject of quick-needs assessment.

The ERC Flagship Initiative is also a unique opportunity to build alliances and re-energize coalitions to learn from each other and set a common sense of purpose in a context where multilateralism has been put at risk.

More than ever, joining forces, capacities and resources appear as the most effective way of coping with, adapting to, and recovering from present and future shocks. At the heart of this process, solidarity remains the main engine for resilience building.

This World Humanitarian Day, actions towards resilience have many faces.

And so why are humanitarian efforts still important, and why are we standing still, despite many odds?

Because we are called to serve, #NoMatterWhat.

(The author is Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations in the Philippines.)