Last 30 March 2013, the TS Supman class visited the Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, Inc. near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City. The class was welcomed by Mr. Ariel Pallera, Supervisor of operations. First, the class was given a background on the profile of the company and the service it provides. We learned that unlike what we have assumed, forwarders also outsource services that were outsourced to them. Before we assumed that the forwarders were the ones who settle everything for export thru air. We weren’t even aware of ground supports. Second, Mr. Pallera took the class to their control office where the CCTV cameras can be seen. It seem that security is well established, however, as per discussed by Mr. Pallera, most of the employees are contractual members. This can also be a threat not only for security but also in the quality of work. Third, we went down to operations. It was somewhat chaotic in the operations area. First, the group went through security. There were frisking and we saw the security scanners for the packages/items being brought in. Display in the scanner is unrecognizable. I think only trained personnel could differentiate a bomb from other items. In the operation area, forklifts are everywhere. There is no assigned forklift zone or assigned area where people could walk. There is a high risk of accident. Coming from a manufacturing company, this type of operation cannot be tolerated since it should always be SAFETY FIRST. Lastly, we proceeded to the customs office. There we found the custom personnel watching television during working time. I think even though its overtime, since it is Saturday, personnel should not be watching television and they should be working. In addition, she even was not very hospitable enough because even when asked a question, her eyes are still on the television set. Over-all, I learned a lot during this educational trip. However, it is quite disappointing to see government personnel just leisurely sitting around and watching television while being paid overtime. Also, a lot of improvement in the operation of PAGSS can still be implemented especially in terms of Safety.
