MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday started exempting students from paying passenger service charge at all airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The CAAP has directed its 42 participating airports to designate personnel who will be responsible for the processing of applications and the disbursement of payment for refund.
The Malasakit help desks located at CAAP-operated airports will serve as certification and refund counters for the processing of the exemption.
The DOTr said airports not under the CAAP such as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Clark International Airport and Caticlan Airport are not included in the implementation.
Qualified student passengers with flights starting yesterday and purchased previously within a period of one year may seek refund of the terminal fee that was integrated into their airline tickets purchased at point of sale or online.
The CAAP hopes the initiative will have a successful implementation despite still being in its trial period.
“Secretary (Arthur) Tugade has ordered us to help our students through free terminal fees in our domestic and international airports. This serves as our full support in pushing for the direction that our government wants to achieve,” CAAP director general Jim Sydiongco said.
The free terminal fee is an initiative of the DOTr to help and incentivize students.
The agency also gave students free train rides on select hours during weekdays except holidays starting last July 1.
The first student to avail himself of the student exemption certificate is Manila-bound passenger Sam Janolino, a Grade 8 student from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori School in Cagayan de Oro City, who applied for certification at Laguindingan Airport.
As of 10 a.m. on the exemption’s first day, 59 students have already applied for certification at Laguindingan, according to airport manager Job de Jesus. – With Rudy Santos