As Manila’s international airport grapples with the creeping menace of bed bugs, the knee-jerk reaction of replacing passenger terminal seats seems akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. 

The Department of Tourism’s “Love the Philippines” campaign unwittingly invites more bloodsuckers to the party, as bed bugs are notorious globe-trotters. 

Instead of futilely swapping out furniture, why not deploy bed bug detectors at customs and immigration? Better yet, let’s scrutinize travelers from bed bug hotspots like France, where even the City of Light struggles with infestation. NAIA should have started with French urban free-climber Alain Robert, popularly known as the “French Spider-Man“, who just scaled a Makati skyscraper.  Now, that building must be fumigated!