Press Release
January 30, 2008

Now that the civil aviation bill passed bicam...
Angara optimistic over RP aviation ratings

Senator Edgardo Angara is optimistic that the Philippines will recover from the downgrade of its aviation ratings, noting that the crucial reason for the downgrade has already been resolved through legislation.

In its recent International Aviation Safety Assessment report (IASA), the US Federal Administration reclassified the Philippines as Category 2, which means the country is non-compliant with international standards.

"One of the reasons why our safety aviation rating has been downgraded is because we lack a centralized aviation body. We have an Air Transportation Office (ATO) that does not meet the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) standards. Congress has already responded to that, by prioritizing the bill creating a centralized civil aviation authority," said Senator Angara, who co-sponsored the civil aviation bill in the Senate.

According to Senator Angara, "the ATO still operates under an archaic 1952 civil aviation law, which requires it to remit its earnings to the government."

"Thus, our aviation authority is impinged with unnecessary bureaucratic procedures. In other countries, this problem has been solved through a centralized aviation authority," he said.

"For instance, countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Uganda, Jordan, Pakistan, Singapore, the Fiji Islands, Ireland, Romania, Jamaica, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Trinidad and Tobago all have restructured their regulatory policies and framework and created a "stand-alone civil aviation authority" that had worked to their advantage in promoting their aviation industry thru reduced bureaucracy and inefficiency in meeting ICAO standards and recommended practices," said Senator Angara.

"Our new Civil Aviation Authority functions as a regulatory agency, charged with creating and implementing rules that will promote the aviation industry in the country while emphasizing aviation safety at all times," Senator Angara said.

"Further, it now enjoys fiscal autonomy subject to Congress oversight, allowing it to be more flexible in performing its duties," said Senator Angara.

The creation of a civil aviation authority will also comply with the Philippines's commitments to the Convention of International Civil Aviation, and the RP-US Service Agreement.

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