Ramp controllers at NAIA in exodus; traveling public need not worry — official

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is experiencing a “brain drain” phenomenon after a number of ramp controllers (RCs) resigned for high paying jobs abroad.

Airport general manager Jose Angel Honrado said eight airport ramp controllers resigned last week, leaving the country’s premier airport with only 31 ramp controllers.

A ramp controller is a highly skilled and technical position who is in charge of directing aircraft movement after landing into the parking bays and vice versa. The position requires a license from the Civil Aviation Training Center which is under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

The airport, however, assured the traveling public that their safety will not be compromised despite the exodus of ramp controllers, saying there are still enough ramp controllers that man the three airport terminals.

Ramp controllers were hired as contractual with a monthly wage of P13,000. The growing air industry around the world triggered a big demand for licensed air traffic controllers that offers big pay.

The current requirement for an airport terminal is 11 for a 4-4-3 shifts. At present, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 has nine RCs; Terminal 2, eight RCs; Terminal 3, five RCs, and the Manila Domestic Airport, nine RCs.

Honrado said ramp controllers used to be under the control of the CAAP but was only placed under the control of the MIAA following the threat of work stoppage by the country’s Air Traffic Controllers back in the 1990s.

Acknowledging the problem with the current pay scale, Honrado said they signed a new memorandum to increase the workers’ pay from P13,000 to P15,000 per month.

According to Honrado, the increase is just temporary as the MIAA Board is in the final stages of rationalizing technical positions at the MIAA for approval by the Department of Budget Management (DBM).

He explained the rationalization includes three new positions at the Terminal Operations Center that include a ramp control supervisor, shift-in-charge and ramp controller having government salary grades 19, 18 and 15, respectively.

Once approved, the new salary grades will be comparable to wages of air traffic controllers at the CAAP who earns a basic salary of P28,000 every month.

Honrado said he gave specific instructions to MIAA assistant general manager for finance and administration Herminia Castillio to expedite the rationalization and processing of the new technical positions so they can forward it to the DBM for approval. –Conrado Ching, Daily Tribune