The Office for Transportation Security (OTS) is the single authority responsible for the security of the transportation systems of the Philippines, including Civil Aviation, Sea Transport and Maritime Infrastructure, Land Transportation, Rail System and Infrastructure. Updated list of prohibited items or items which are not allowed in The Philippines
| Website | www.ots.gov.ph |
|---|
Up until the Second World War, the conduct of commercial aviation activities between countries was based mainly on bilateral arrangements because there was a prevailing “unqualified national sovereignty” over airspace. With the Second World War coming to an end, interested parties met in Chicago in late 1944 to draw up a new treaty to allow more open access for the conduct of international air commerce. The result of this meeting was the Convention on International Civil Aviation (or Chicago Convention), establishing the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This convention has the objective of providing an agreement on principles and arrangements governing international civil aviation in the interest of safe navigation of the skies. It has close to universal acceptance with 188 signatory or Contracting States
The Philippines, having ratified the Convention on International Civil Aviation on 1 March 1947 and being one of the 188 Contracting States (as of June 2002) of the ICAO, is bound to comply with the international standards of safeguarding civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference, including global terrorism. Specifically stated in Standard 3.1.2 of the ICAO Annex 17, Amendment 11: “Each Contracting State shall designate and specify to ICAO an appropriate authority within its administration to be responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the national Civil Aviation Security programme.”
On January 30, 2004, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order No. 277 creating the Office for Transportation Security (OTS) within the Department of Transportation Communication and reconstituting the National Council for Civil Aviation Security (NCCAS) to the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC). And as response to the international mandate calling for a single authority for securing all modes of transportation in the Philippines per the ICAO and IM0 guidelines, the President issued Executive Order No. 311 on April 26, 2004, designating the OTS as the single authority called for and thereto expanding its powers and functions.
To effectively carry out its mandate of securing the transportation systems against terrorism, OTS was organized into three Transportation Security Bureaus – Civil Aviation Security Bureau (CASB), Maritime Transportation Security Bureau (MTSB) and Land Transportation Security Bureau (LTSB), together with three Support Bureaus – Intelligence and Operations Bureau (IOB), Administrative and Finance Bureau (AFB), and Legal and Planning Bureau (LPB).
Guns, firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles
(Allowed in check-in hold baggage)
- Air Gun
- Ammunition shells/Bullets and other components
- Component of Guns and Firearm
- Compressed Air Gun
- Firearm (any caliber)
- Flare Gun
- Pellet Gun
- Realistic Replicas and imitation firearms
- Crew Served Weapons
- Disguised / Improvised Firearms
- Projectile-capable devices (Slingshot, Bow and Arrow, Crossbows, Spear Gun)
- Bolt Gun
- Toy Gun – Also allowed in carry-on baggage unless prohibited in the country of destination
- Paintball equipment
Stunning device
(Allowed in checked-in hold baggage)
- Mace/pepper spray tear gas – Also not allowed in checked-in baggage
- Sun Gun (all kinds)
Chemicals and other toxic substances
(Not allowed in carry on cabin baggage/Check-in/hold baggage)
- Corrosive substances (e.g. acid, battery acid, sulfuric acid, vinegar, muriatic acid)
- Radioactive materials (medical or commercial use)
- Toxic and infectious material (e.g. insect/animal repellant spray)
- Hazardous materials
- Flammable Materials (e.g. paint, thinner, lighter refill, butane)
- Oxidizing substance and organic peroxide (e.g. fertilizer, bleach, sulfur)
- Miscellaneous Dangerous good (e.g. dry ice, lithium battery)
Objects with sharp points or edges
(Not allowed in carry on cabin baggage)
- Ax/Hatchet
- Arrow and Dart
- Bayonet
- Bolos
- Box Cutter
- Butterfly knife (Balisong)
- Canned Product (with easy-open lids)
- Cleaver
- Cock Fighting Blade (Tare)
- Cork Screw
- Disguised with sharp edge (ex. cane, umbrella sword, comb knife, card knife)
- Knife – Unless prohibited in the country of destination
- Letter/Bottle Opener
- Medical Scalpel
- Nipper/Pusher/Nail file/Nail cutter with knife
- Open razor/Razor blade
- Saber/Sword
- Scissor
- Fishing hook
- Throwing / Ninja Star
- Umbrella
Workers’ tools
(Not allowed in carry on/ cabin baggage)
- Crowbars
- Drills/Drill bits (including portable power drills)
- G.I. wires (alambre)
- Hammers
- Nails
- Pliers
- Saw (including cordless portable power saws)
- Screwdrivers
- Wrenches
- Handcuffs/thumb cuffs
- Harpoon gun
- Nail gun
- Retractable tape measure (metal)
- Blunt Instruments
- (Not allowed in carry on cabin baggage; Allowed checked in /hold baggage)
- All metal chains
- Baton sticks/Billy Clubs/Black Jacks/Kubatons
- Billiard Sticks
- Bowling/Billiard balls
- Club/Sticks/Bat/Rods
- Crutches/Walking sticks or aids
- Dumbbells/Hand weight
- Fishing Rods
- Ice skates
- Hoverboards and similar items (e.g. balance, wheel, air wheel, solo wheel, mini segway)
- Paddles (e.g. Boat, cricket, kayak/canoe)
- Lacrosse sticks
- Air Tank (as diving equipment) – Tank should be empty
- Ski poles/hiking poles
- Tennis/Badminton/Squash rackets
- Tripod/Monopod
- Martial Arts Weapons (e.g. Nunchakus, brass/metal knuckles)
Explosives and incendiary substances and devices
(Not allowed in both carry-on/cabin baggage, check-in/hold baggage)
- Batteries/Power Banks (e.g. lithium battery) – Allowed in carry-on with special instruction from airlines
- Blasting cap
- Detonator and Fuse
- Grenade
- Dynamite
- Flares (in any form)
- Plastic Explosives
- Pyrotechnics including fireworks)
- Smoke-generating canisters or cartridges
- Mines and other explosive military store
- Replica or imitation explosive devices
- Fuels (including cooking fuel and any flammable liquid fuel)
- Matches
- Lighters (Disposable and Non-Disposable)
- Disguised lighters
- Lighter fluids refills
- Gasoline/kerosene/Petrol
- E-Cigarettes – Allowed in carry-on/cabin baggage
- E-lighters
- Torch
Article by — Rosette Adel
