The Department of Transportation (DOTr) assured that no airport worker will be laid off during the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Transport secretary Jaime Bautista said that parts of its agreement with San Miguel Corp. SAP & Co. Consortium is ensuring that Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) personnel will keep their jobs.

"Part of the concession agreement is for the concessionaire to offer positions to existing employees of Manila International Airport Authority," Bautista said.

"Be it regular employees, contract of service or job order. Ibig sabihin, walang mawawalan ng trabaho dito," he added.

Bautista noted that despite the priority to hire current employees involved in operations for the incoming concessionaire, MIAA personnel who are not involved will remain with the agency.

"If you believe you have a particular skill-set necessary to keep this airport functioning, you have no reason to be anxious," he said, adding that MIAA will focus on airport regulation while the concessionaire deals with operations and maintenance.

"The whole exercise is intended to modernize NAIA, bring it in step with global aviation transformation," Bautista said.

The transport secretary urged MIAA personnel to restore NAIA’s reputation.

“We need to reverse NAIA’s world’s worst airport repute. That needs to happen fast. Make sure you have the right morals and values when the transition starts,” he said.

NAIA has been embroiled in infestation controversies following reports of bed bugs in seats and rats around the area of Terminals 1, 2, and 3.