When it comes to arriving way ahead of time at the airport before a flight, mom and dad still know best.
Filipino Redditors find themselves in agreement over a meme suggesting that parents exaggerate about leaving for the airport in haste more than four hours before the departure time.
As a Filipino, I definitely agree to this one
by u/omar7c1 in Philippines
“Sa bagal at haba ba ng immigration ngayon—konting [immigration officers] na available at matagal ang tanungan—this makes more sense than ever,” the most upvoted comment reads.
“If you are flying from one of the worst airports in the world, better listen to your parents,” another commenter wrote.
Airplane passengers who have experienced being left behind also shared what they learned.
“Bilang minsan nang naiwan ng eroplano, mas OK para sakin tumambay sa terminal kesa kinakabahan sa byahe,” one said.
Another shared: “Made a mistake sa aking first flight solo, na iniwan ako ng flight, pero lesson learned na papunta na ako sa airport 8-5hrs before sa flight ko.”
Stricter but slower immigration procedures
A Filipina who recently missed her flight after undergoing a lengthy and demanding questioning by immigration officers recently went viral on Tiktok and made headlines.
READ: ‘Power tripping?’: Pinay traveler misses flight due to lengthy immigration interview
The news prompted the Bureau of Immigration to review departure protocols even as it intensified procedures to prevent human trafficking. A recent scheme it cited involves even well-educated and well-traveled Filipinos in trafficking.
“The underlying problem here lies in the fact that for these new schemes, it is extremely difficult to distinguish regular passengers from potential victims of human trafficking,” said the Department of Justice, which oversees the immigration bureau, in March.
“The main consideration of the department is not only stopping trafficking per se, but also lessening the victims of this heinous crime,” it added.
ALSO READ: Immigration interview issue inspires humorous, satirical memes, skits
