John Manalo gets offloaded from flight due to "minor tear" on his passport

Published 18 Jan 2026 at 11:28 PM

by Glory Mae Monserate

3 min read

Actor and director John Manalo recently took to social media to express his disappointment after being offloaded from a flight to Thailand on January 15
The airline denied him boarding due to a minor tear on his passport, despite the actor previously using the same document to travel to the USA, Mexico, and Japan
While Manalo clarified that he does not blame the airline staff for following protocol, he criticized the quality of the Philippine passport's paper material
The director suggested that the government should switch to polycarbonate materials to ensure passports last for their full 10-year validity without easily tearing

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John Manalo was headed to Thailand last Thursday, January 15, when his travel plans were abruptly halted. According to his Facebook post, the airline noticed a "minor tear" on his passport, leading to him being offloaded. This came as a surprise to the director, as he had successfully used the same passport to travel to countries like the USA, Japan, Mexico, and Canada just days and months prior without any issues.

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John Manalo gets offloaded from flight due to "minor tear" on his passport (📷John Vladimir Manalo/Facebook)
Source: Facebook

“I was offloaded earlier on my way to Thailand because of a minor tear on my passport. Everything else is completely intact,” John shared. He explained that while he understands the airline’s protocol—as they face heavy fines if a passenger is deported due to a damaged document—he couldn't help but feel frustrated. “I've flown to Japan, Canada, Mexico, the USA, Vietnam, and Thailand with this same passport, even with this tear, and never had any issues. Nasa ibang bansa lang ako 3 days ago. Pero kanina na offload,” he added.

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Because of the incident, John had to cancel all his bookings, resulting in lost time, money, and effort. His main point of contention, however, was not the airline staff or the immigration officers, but the actual physical quality of the Philippine passport. He argued that since passports are valid for 10 years and are meant to withstand different climates and frequent scanning, they should be made of more durable materials.

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“Our own country. Whether intentional or not, we’re issued passports that are so easily torn, and in the end, it’s Filipinos who suffer the consequences,” the director lamented. He suggested that the Philippines should follow other countries by using hard polycarbonate for the data page. “Ang biodata ay dapat non-tearable. Hindi dapat papel, kundi polycarbonate. Matigas na plastic. Para tuwing na sscan, hindi tumutupi,” he explained.

John Manalo started his career as a popular child star in the sketch comedy show Goin' Bulilit. Over the years, he has successfully transitioned into a director and creative professional, often working on high-profile advertisement campaigns and digital content.

John's transition from being in front of the camera to working behind the scenes has allowed him to collaborate with some of the biggest names in the industry, including his long-time friend and fellow Goin' Bulilit alum, Kathryn Bernardo.

John Manalo previously delighted fans when he gave a "behind-the-scenes" look at the animatics for a new ad campaign featuring Kathryn Bernardo. As a director, John shared the creative process and the hard work that goes into making a commercial successful. Fans were impressed by his talent and his continued close bond with the "Queen of Hearts," proving that their friendship has remained strong since their child-star days.