While Filipinos are known for their warmth and hospitality, that mentality doesn’t really spill over to the country’s biggest airport, which is Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila (MNL). The airport has just added an interesting new rule, which I don’t mind, but the response seems like a bit of an overkill.
Continue reading: Manila Airport Passport Drama Leads To Strange New Policy
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
The Philippines is the worst country in Southeast Asia, and one of the worst in the world. A few good beaches cannot compensate for everything else about the Philippines that’s terrible.
You might not have paid too much attention to it, but there have been many news reports in Asia, especially Bali news/blogs, about people being denied entry because of damaged passports. Many Australians, but also citizens of other ASEAN/Asian countries.
This is why I do not want to use my passport for Real ID starting this week. I will use my Global Entry card. My driver's license is not Real ID compliant.
At least the Philippines is a democracy and this article shows they are a democracy.
Thailand, Vietnam and a bunch more are not democracies!
Only other ones are Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. And Singapore is 100% anti human rights regarding LGBT.
You said, "But if this person just showed up in Bali with that passport, I can’t imagine they would’ve been denied entry." I think you may be too confident. I can definitely see a visitor refused entry because of a tear shown in the photo.
MNL security let me past screening without documentation to use the ATM. They are good in my book .
That is why getting a visa in advance and using the electronic gates makes sense.
Clearly they haven't been to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, or even East Timor.
Let us know how it goes when you get back.
P.s. Ben should try Air Niugini, a quirky little airline next door!
Surely now any passenger with a tear in their passport can just hold it up with their thumb over the damage to hide it?
My last few arrivals in Jakarta and Bali (Denpasar) were fully “automated” - that is, e-gates, no manual control. So there’s a very good chance that person would be fine.
@Jane How precisely is the Philippines a democracy? Their current “president” is the son of a dictator, and their last one used his office to exact authoritarian campaigns upon vulnerable local populations. Please educate yourself before you speak.
First of all there is more than one incident of passport tear at the Manila Airport. It is known to be a deliberate destruction by a sadist staff to prevent a traveler from boarding a plane to his destination. It is not overkill. It’s passenger and traveler protection from some of these godless airport staff. How would a YOU like it if someone tore your passport, deny you boarding, you have to go to your embassy (if there is one) in the Philippines, pay for an emergency passport, and get a regular one and pay for that too once you get home? Hmmm not so overkill now is it?
I have held of visiting Philippines for 15+ years precisely because they want to check passport and other documents at NAIA's entrance. I'm serious. I've lived in multiple other countries including the US where they don't do this. Just like "all immigrants should just be let into the country no matter what," this check is not common sense where I'm from.
I also held off visiting Japan for 10 years until they stopped requiring a visa for me, because when I applied in 2003 while visiting family back home, the Japanese embassy complained: you're a student in the US, you need to apply in the US? Applying back home makes you suspect. We want to see a detailed plan of your life for the next 3 months. So, no visit. But anyway.
Now that Thailand is making a beeline for overreach and bad policy, I've bought a printer to print my travel documents, and Manila is in my plans for 2026.
I thought this might be an overdue reaction to the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim's brother, at the Kuala Lumpur airport, when he was sprayed with the VX nerve agent. Or Putin's goons who tried to kill an exile in Britain by placing Novichok on his home's door knob. You can't be too careful these days, what you touch. Especially if tariffs are imposed on hand sanitizer.
It’s 2025 and we still need to carry a piece of paper in pristine condition around with us. Why are passports not made out of platinum or aluminum ??
The Australian government gives this advice:
'You should replace your passport if it has more than reasonable wear and tear. Even minor passport damage can stop you from travelling. Damage that might require you to replace your passport includes water damage, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages or tears.
It's important that there are no tears or cuts in the pages, especially the photo page.'
The gent in question has a tear over his passport photo, and should have replaced his passport before traveling.
I've been to many airports worldwide and in most cases, there are no passport, ID nor ticket checks at the entrance. Theae are only presented at the airlines checkin counter..in fact, you can enter most of these airports even if you are not a traveller. Only in the Philippines do.we do this.
There are numerous cases of people being refused entry due to damaged passports, including small tears.
You mention security staff at the terminal entry, however the check in agents still do so. I just show my bio page to security staff and they’ve never held it.
His about at the check in and then passport control when you exit the country ? They may also verify when boarding the aircraft.
There are few airports i detest but MNL is at the top of my hate list. I was there last May and yes they required passport AND travel itinerary to enter the terminal. There was a long line with lots of commotion. The door clerk definitely held my passport. Beyond this, it's just an awful set of terminals.
LIM in Peru also requires same docs to enter the terminal... at least they did 2 years ago. I don't necessarily mind the extra checkpoint but it always feels haphazard and slightly chaotic. There's a 3rd airport I've visited recently that requires the same but I don't remember.... maybe BOG.
Was in LIM several times last year and never needed to show PPT to enter the terminal building
Devil’s advocate, but the tear does extend well into the biometric picture, which might be the reason why they didn’t accept the passport. Back in the days when I worked for a bank, we were not allowed to accept any form of ID with damages to or near the picture. Although unlikely, but you cannot rule out that someone tampered with your ID.
Democracy, as you are implying, doesn't always mean that a country is doing good and have a good president. Case in point, the USA right now.
The point of biometric passports (which includes this one, the logo is visible on the picture) is that the data is stored in the chip, and you don't really rely on the printed data (apart from few information needed to access the chip data, but if that was corrupted, you simply wouldn't be able to read it).
@Icarus
You don't know Pinoy with that comment.
Around half of them I've seen hated their own country.
Snowflake.
Years ago i was flying lax to bkk on cathay pacific and my passport was not in very good condition. This was back when you had a real photograph inside it. So i was checking in and they wouldn't let me on the plane saying that my passport wasn't in good enough condition and if i got denied entry they were responsible for bringing me back.
I said that it's fine, it's just old. And the guy at the gate said, no, you can open it up and take the photo out. And then proceeded to rip my passport open to show me.
Anyway, being that this was before tiktok and camera phones, they didn't change any policies, i got to spend the day at the federal building in los Angeles instead getting a new passport.
I still have old passport, and even though it's all peeled apart, the picture is still in there.
I agree they should just rename MAGA, MVGA- make victims great again. All people do is complain and blame others for their lack of common sense and intelligence. Just keep your official documents in order
Not only the Philippines. Peru, India is another and Israel as far as I’m aware
Because the current President scammed people by saying he would lose the price of rice.
It's 2025 and we still use humans flying and controlling air traffic using technology from the 60s
I will go to airport early and not use REAL ID. Let's all go through secondary. If everyone goes through secondary then no one gets secondary screening.
If federal doesn't trust my state then it's between them, not my privacy.
If federal wants to overreach every state, why not seize power from every state and eliminate states as an entity.
Republic of America sounds good?
That’s also the standard in India and THEY ACTUALLY CHECK the itinerary. Annoying at the best of times but absolute nightmare if you missed your flight. They won’t let you in, because your itinerary is not valid and you cannot get on a different flight because they won’t let you in.
And that's why it's dumb to rank any airport in India among the better ones globally. Even with weak imagination.
That individual is an ASEAN citizen, and afaik they don't require an eVisa/VOA, so he'd still have to go to the counter.
My British Passport has had a tear right on my photo 3 weeks after it was issued to me. It got stuck— and I need to pull it out with a bit more force— on the e-gate scanner plate at Heathrow. I’ve traveled with it extensively with check-in staff noticing the tear but I did not experience anyone flagging it as an issue; the tear was also notice by immigration agents and I was let through with no issue (I.e. Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Qatar). At any e-gates where allowed, I had no issues whatsoever as well.
While I probably was lucky, its best to get the issue fixed/passport replaced if you don’t want to experience any delays, holds, or nuisance, while traveling.
That is quite harsh. I travel to Manila multiple times a year for work and have enjoyed watching it improve & prosper over the years. And filipinos are some of the most welcoming & pleasant people I've come across.
Only an american would find things like this an overkill.
This is just to show how immune Americans are to government inaction
Tell that to the germans.
A friend with Indonesian biometric passport denied boarding because he has no signature on his passport page. Bunch of dumbasses. Biometric data in the passport is a lot more useful than signature that can be forged thousands different ways. German efficiency my ass
Go to Philippines and you will be either extorted for money or denied boarding.
What the article failed to report is that cathay pacific agent cause the tear when they handle it.
The DFA really should improve the quality of the passports. It's supposed to be valid for 10 years ! Imagine a frequent flyer using it for this period of time, there would inevitably be a lot of wear and tear.
Immigration people are often under pressure and tend to handle passports roughly, and passengers are at their mercy.
He does not. Indonesia require you to fill in an e-form, submit it before you get to the country, and they will give you some sort of an e-visa so you can use e-gate. Bali uses e-gate and its recommended for easier and less human-human interaction that will cause exactly this kind of issue.
And this is coming from someone who just travelled to bali a month ago with Philippine passport.
You can get past the Security people but you won't get far. The airline check-in counters and the Immigration people will surely demand you to hand over your passport.
My passport was torn in manila first trip after i got and had a tear on barcode but i syill used it for over 40 flights. Finally retired it this year and well was at manila terminal 2 yesterday and the airport police checking passports was scared to touch mine. Yes they have ripped my passport but this new law or rule is stupid
No one knows about the incident happen in tearing passport both the passport holder and the airport ground staff. This issues not only affects the specific airport but the entire country as well especially in tourism concerns. That's sad to hear.
Why can't Manila be as efficient as Singapore. Where no one checks your Passport except a machine and the airport is a mall with trains between terminals. Immigration can be simplified why not do that?
As an ASEAN citizen, I don’t need to go to the counter. I have been using the e-gates at CGK. The only thing I have to do is go to their website to sign up to use the e-gates.
That's good. You can show your passport to them. And it's a very good deterrence for them not to extract money from the passport holder. Let also the passport holder take care of his passport. Para Wala nang rason kung pano Sila mahu hulidap sa airport
You are watching the news properly. It didn't just happen to one person. It happened to a group of three people, all with torn passports. And then another woman bound for Canada. This situation will get worse if nothing is done about it. It's not overkill. You probably don't travel, or own a passport so you don't know.
Not true to your statement that most International Airports need to show passports in order to gain entry to thd Airport. Review some.
Happy to hear this because me to go visit my family in Davao I will not or never pass by Manila, I’m always passing through Atlanta to Korea to Cebu, 2022 I passed by Manila because I don’t have no choice. Since Cebu for Korean Air was still not operating that was June 2022. I had a bad experienced back in in 2000 when I went home from Saudi Arabia. Immigration officers are arrogant and feeling they are on top. They are just employee paid by. Last year November when my family and friends make a short trip to Hongkong that immigration officer asks questions to my brother like hell, like we can’t afford to go travel, idiot he is. I still remember his face I didn’t realize to get his name then but Manila is worst. Now Laglag bala is back, reform and replacement for those arrogant immigration officers are most welcome.
Worst airport in the Asian region. Most corrupt country in Asia. Worst government officials at all levels.
My passport has a small year after entering Philippines. I'm scared of what happens when I leave
I agree .. for me this is not an overkill.. In one incident the passenger already had a problem when the check in staff claimed that her psssport was torn when she said it was not. I also wish the check in staff wouldn't hold the passports as I think it's only the immigration's concern not the airlines
Since there have been many cases of torn passports lately, that new policy is most welcome.
"Tanim bala" is another issue they have to prevent. Why not bodily scan d airport personnel and areas where they operate?
Philippines should become a communist country in order to eradicate those kind of thing.
The manufacturing quality of the Philippines passport itself is not great I'm afraid. The damaged page in question is actually very thin and can be easily damaged by accident on either side. This can be more of an issue if one is a frequent traveler on a Philippine passport. Also, I do agree that there's an overzealousness due to the prevailing culture of not taking any risks or responsibility by the agent - at that pay grade and a few more up, no one will be willing to take that risk.
When You're a foreigner then this place where you can find plenty of scams starting the plane tickets and private taxi just at the Manila Airport stuff so called aid till the overpriced groceries for double and triple prices and even all sorts of matrimonial scams.
Actually I suspect the airlines agent do this horrible thing, to avoid paying to the costumer passenger who airlines overbook and to avoid and very easy excuse just tear the passport and that they have reason to denied the passenger.
No other airport in the world asks people to show their passport to enter the airport. Passengers show their passport and documents on the airline counter ONLY during check in. Only in the Philippines! Follow Malaysia.
Why the new policy strange? In UAE, Airport personnel never touch passports nor physically check handcarry bags. They just weigh it if within 7kg limits. Even if it is more than 7kg, they allow it, if it is not so obviously overweight.
There was a second incident last week in CEB, CX Ground staff also accidentally tore/damaged passport of pax headed for DXB. Pax got hospitalized because of incident.
So probably can chalk it up to lack of training and quick turnover of Staff.
It’s honestly disappointing that even after a year, nothing has changed in the immigration procedures in the Philippines. Compared to my travel this year, the experience remains just as slow and disorganized as before.
Last year, I had to endure an incredibly long queue, and to make things worse, some immigration officers didn’t even understand what it meant to be a companion of a senior citizen. This year? Same story. No improvements, no sense of urgency to change.
It’s sad that despite paying hefty travel taxes, travelers are left to deal with such a laid-back and inefficient system—especially when other Southeast Asian countries have already stepped up and modernized their processes.
A serious review and improvement plan needs to be implemented. Filipino travelers deserve better.
May i know what happened to the airline employee who caused all this mess? I read the post of the agrieved and i felt that the airline employee was so unreasonable. Some airport personnel already agreed that the tear was no big deal. Was it pride that the airline personnel wouldnt give in? Or was she waiting for the "pastillas" that became so popular during the Duterte administration?
O have just traveled to the Philippines for the 1st time and I can only say they were the most accommodating people o have ever met . So friendly and welcoming. I cant say much about the President there now but the past President I understand from every Filipina I spoke with is a good man . Stomping out drugs is the right thing to do. I was treated with nothing but respect when I was there for a month .
It was done(new poicy), to ensure that travellers, guests & the traveling public not to be "victimized" by "corrupt" airport staff and employees who miss the good old days of corruption way back 2016-2022. The policy is implemented to ensure that the travelling public is not
inconvenienced and for the public's safety in mind. ⚖️✊❤️
It definitely is not an overkill. That's comment is typical of an ignorant person who just wants to rabble- rouse. A torn passport can be a cause for refusal on entry into a country as it could be constituted as "tampered document" by immigration authorities. The ultimate decision as to whether let passenger into a country or not can also lie on the immigration officer itself and that cannot be constructed just like that. What the airline agent did in calling Indonesia is correct. When a passenger is accepted for travel at point of origin and barred entry at the point of destruction. That came be considered as negligence on the airlines part for which the eventually could be fined a couple of thousand dollars not to mention the fact they have to assume repatriation costs for the passenger to bring him back from where he/ she came from. I should know as I've worked in the airline industry a total of 38 years here in Manila, in Frankfurt and Munich , Germany , in London and Manchester in the United Kingdom and in Zurich, Switzerland for there different legacy carriers one amongst amongst which was PAL.
As i was about to leave Manila a friend went with me to Terminal 3
I am American and speak no Phil.
My Phil. friend had guided me in the Phil. Up to he door of the terminal but was denied entry because she was not flying. A bribe for the doorman was paid. Once inside the terminal it was chaos to me. No set directions to be found. 50 people waited in an area with 10 seats available.
My fruend told me the solution was to claim wheelchair use and an agent took me finally thru check in .my passport and exit papers were checked and rechecked FOUR TIMES and each time the checkers were within sight of each other..true overkill. And yes my friend paid a total of 3 bribes for me to get thru thr processes and i paid a sizable tip to the agent to " PUSH " me thru to the plane
Warmth and hospitality is irrelevant to the new policy. One can still be warm and hospitable without touching a passport. Thinking otherwise, now that's an overkill.
Maybe you looked like a person who is willing to pay bribes at the first opportunity. I never pay bribes at the airport yet never missed a single flight.
That's for the better
Naia and Filipino immigration are amongst most corrupt in the world.
Bullet scam, planting bullets in your bags then asking 70k php
Robbing passengers (like that one eating the bank notes to hide her crime)
Etc
The worse, lately, they scammed foreigners and when those victims raised their voice to complain about the scam, they denied them for being disrespectful with officers...
What happens at naia is a mirror of what can happen in the country
Totally agree, same experience with my daughter. Immigration officers needs to be replace.
Another reason they're going to push it digital, since all you traveller's carrying a phone already your passport will be digital therefore with 1 push on a button you can be closed off from society!
This is NOT overkill and of you have been following everything happening around our NAIA airport, you would know that this is not an isolated case (only one minor tear).. Many Filipinos have experienced this kind of incident thats why the rule has already been set because this did not just happened once.. and not only at NAIA, it had already staryed happening in the provincial airport. Please know your facts and research well so you can come up with a better article. Thank you.
It’s very clear that they intentionally tear passport so they can ask money as bribe so they can access the security . This airport has a terrible situation ever since. I hope the president could wipe out all staff who are so corrupt inside the airport and they are growing.
Check the back of the PH passport. It is very small # 3 or #4 " ALTERATION, ADDITION or DESTRUCTION ..... WILL RENDER THIS PASSPORT INVALID". Whether is minor or major, this passport is invalid.
If more countries understood that a passport is simply a record of your biometrics and your personal details, which get checked against your physical person (the biometric) and the government's data (your personal details - when you're a citizen of the country or a foreigner registered to get into the country), nobody would care about a one-millimeter tear on a passport's page 23.
That's a stupid law which many countries have. The law is the law, but the fact that it's the law doesn't make it clever.
Okay clearly this statement is a bit ridiculous (and also ironically inaccurate). While it has it's own problems, especially with its politics which is the reason why a lot of issues like infrastructure, education, economy and standard of living are still somewhat lacking, and in comparison to other nations and even its Southeast Asian neighbours they're a bit mediocre, this country ain't no Somalia or Haiti (at their worst periods). They got a lot of work to do but they're literally halfway there.
Also what does a passport handling changes have to do with anything else about the country? Like you see that and say the country's the worst? Sure let's ignore many other countries with more difficult situations I guess (aside from the other two I mentioned).
Take a chill. The country does have a lot of ground to cover but it ain't no worst in the world.
That comment has nothing to do with the article and calling the country "one of the worst" is a bit absurd and ironically even inaccurate. It's still has some ground to cover with its neighbours and a lot with the rest of the developed countries (doesn't help with their messy bureaucracy and the clan fighting and dynasty warriors) they ain't no Somalia or Haiti (at their worst period).
Sorry but... The claim ain't really that true.
I agree that it could be intentional inorder to get money, it is very difficult to wipe out corrupt staff, bcoz new hires will be corrupt in the future as well.
True, i met a Filipino in Th few years back who was vacationing alone. She told us she was supposed to vacation with her friend but Naia held her friend up with various request for documents even if they both had the same docs. Finally she was allowed to fly as she had another interviewer and her friend not. So her friend got upset with her on why she flew out. So NaIa's staff are not simple to deal with.
Filipinos airport staff at the counters are well trained and are polite smart and very helpfull, unless you have a problem with your documents.So no one has a right to say its the worst county.Its a great place with nice people.
Please don't say that the Philippines is the worst country in Southeast Asia, because we're not. If you haven't been to the Philippines, then you don't know what you're talking about. If you have, and had an unfortunate experience, then I would say that that was part of your journey. Many people from all over the world have been to the Philippines and have said a million times how beautiful our country is and how we have improved. I do agree. I have been to other Asian countries and have had bad experiences, but I don't make hurtful comments about them, because in truth, there will always be good and bad experiences when you travel. That's just how it is. What's most important is the "respect" you carry with you wherever you go.
Thanks to those who speak of the Philippines and us Filipinos based on their experience when they came over to our country for a visit.
I been to the Philippines , it’s a shit hole ️ I helped out many people in the Philippines I would never help the Philippines ever again!
You are very jealous people and not trustworthy period !