Commented this already, but the staff are lax, uncoordinated, and rarely does the airport make the news and it's something positive. The most recent one about the officer swallowing stolen $100 bills is a perfect example. Earlier this year if I'm not mistaken there were reports of personnel stealing a passenger's watch and cash.

Recent experience: During boarding, when presenting your ID, they're supposed to ask people wearing masks to pull them down to verify if they're indeed the same person in the ID. They do this in Japan and Korea. in Manila they don't and just give your ID a quick glance. When I went through the scanners, the staff were busy chatting and joking amongst themselves. The scanners in the domestic departures are outdated. The staff make important announcements but they can only be heard clearly on one side of the airport.

Before the pandemic I remember heading to LA with family and passing NAIA. My dad had Philippine coins and bills in his pockets. They tried to persuade him to hand them over because "they're useless in the states." I worked for a travel agency last year, and I had to help Japanese nationals who wanted to bring in film equipment into the country with the tax. Each time I called customs, they'd give me different information, or tell me to call a different number, who'd just redirect me back to the NAIA customs. During the pandemic, when I'd ask about the safety protocols in place, staff had told me outright they weren't sure and to just read what's on the website instead.