Senate ratifies bicam report on measure creating CAA
The Senate on Monday ratified the bicameral report on the bill creating the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with only Senator Joker Arroyo abstaining from the vote.
Now it is up to the House of Representatives to ratify the report so President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can sign it into law and immediately effect the remedies needed to enable the Philippines to regain its Category 1 status with the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In early January, the FAA downgraded the Philippines' ranking as a port, prompting Congress to approve last week the creation of a fiscally autonomous Civil Aviation Authority.
Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile, who as chairman of the Senate committee on public affairs co-chairs the bicameral conference committee, said this would hopefully lift the Philippines off Category 2 and restore its Category 1 standing as a safe port.
“[Government officials] will meet with [the] FAA. I don’t know when, but shortly. We gave them not more than six months to reorganize, issue the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] to implement the law and put up an efficient organization,” he said.
Enrile said the salient provisions of the law would allow the CAA to keep all the monies it collects so that it could spend these on improving facilities and hiring competent technical personnel.
“The ATO [Air Transport Office] collection, outside of NAIA [Ninoy Aquino International Airport], Subic, and Clark, is P2.9 billion for 2007. They’ll have to use that to improve the system, and training for controllers, technical people,” he said.
Enrile said the new measure also exempts the CAA from the Salary Standardization Law so that it can pay technical personnel internationally acceptable rates.
“No airline or plane exempted from paying landing fees or communication fees or whatever fees imposed by CAA. No more flag carriers,” he said
By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net
Now it is up to the House of Representatives to ratify the report so President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can sign it into law and immediately effect the remedies needed to enable the Philippines to regain its Category 1 status with the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In early January, the FAA downgraded the Philippines' ranking as a port, prompting Congress to approve last week the creation of a fiscally autonomous Civil Aviation Authority.
Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile, who as chairman of the Senate committee on public affairs co-chairs the bicameral conference committee, said this would hopefully lift the Philippines off Category 2 and restore its Category 1 standing as a safe port.
“[Government officials] will meet with [the] FAA. I don’t know when, but shortly. We gave them not more than six months to reorganize, issue the IRR [implementing rules and regulations] to implement the law and put up an efficient organization,” he said.
Enrile said the salient provisions of the law would allow the CAA to keep all the monies it collects so that it could spend these on improving facilities and hiring competent technical personnel.
“The ATO [Air Transport Office] collection, outside of NAIA [Ninoy Aquino International Airport], Subic, and Clark, is P2.9 billion for 2007. They’ll have to use that to improve the system, and training for controllers, technical people,” he said.
Enrile said the new measure also exempts the CAA from the Salary Standardization Law so that it can pay technical personnel internationally acceptable rates.
“No airline or plane exempted from paying landing fees or communication fees or whatever fees imposed by CAA. No more flag carriers,” he said
By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
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