The Manila International Airport (MIA) was renamed in recognition of the historical impact that Ninoy Aquino’s assassination had not only on our country the Philippines, but around the world. The blood he shed on the airport’s tarmac (he was shot in the head), symbolized the ultimate sacrifice he made (as he fought) for a return to democracy in the Philippines. I wonder whether those proposing to change the airport’s name would even be in office today had it not been for Ninoy. Many countries have used airports to honor their own historical figures, including Indonesia, India, Thailand, and the United States. In doing so, they have not lost their national identities.
If the congressmen proposing change intend to rebrand the Philippines as a tourist destination, the question is, for whom? Most foreign tourists will have no idea what the Tagalog name means, and Filipinos already know the airport is in the Philippines.
The revisionist congressmen are playing politics while attempting to deny their country’s history.
Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara
Manila