Creation Of One Single Body To Oversee Air Safety Mulled

Tonight
September 7, 1998
Manila News Features and Commentaries

THE House committee on transportation and communications is mulling over the creation of one single body to oversee air safety and prevent accidents similar to the Cebu Pacific crash that killed about 300 people last year.

Samar Rep. Rodolfo Tuazon, committee chair, made the proposal during a hearing on the projects of the Department of Transportation and Communications last week.

Specifically, he proposed the creation of the Philippine Civil  Aviation Authority to replace the two attached agencies under the DOTC – the Air Transportation Office (ATO) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).

Tuazon cited the dismal performance of the ATO that handled the Cebu Pacific crash last year saying it should be looked into and should never be allowed to happen again.

During the same hearing, the committee and the DOTC mapped out plans to counteract the first semester losses in the industries and to push the Estrada administration’s thrust to help the poor in this period of an impending recession.

They took this action in the wake of a National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) report showing that the combined transport, communication and storage sector posted a lower growth of 7.3 percent in the first semester period last year.

The NEDA traced the deceleration of the air transport industry mainly to the Philippine Airlines’ labor strike last June that caused the air transport sector to contract by 8.7 percent.

The NEDA also said that land registered a slower 3.1 percent growth as some bus companies were hit by strike and the rail transport continued its low performance.

The only saving grace to the transport and communications industry was the communications sector, which expanded by 17.2 percent because of the risking number of telephone lines installed and the increase in other forms of communication services.

The DOTC said it will pursue self-help development programs for transport workers through skills and management training and incentives to small-scale enterprises.

“The programs of the DOTC will be in line with the Estrada administration’s programs for the poor.” Transportation and Communications Secretary Vicente Rivera told the committee.

Rivera said the DOTC, in cooperation with the National Commission, will give emphasis on the “Telepono para sa mga Barangay” project of the Estrada administration to give changes to those in the far-flung rural areas to have access to communications. 

He also said that the DOTC will promote port networks development as a catalyst of livelihood opportunities in depressed coastal areas in order to help uplift conditions in depressed coastal and rural areas.

Against this backdrop, Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras, a committee member, said the awarding transportation and communications will be fully screened to prevent corruption especially in the bidding process.

“There are those who have had anomalous contracts in the past administration who are using their projects in the present administration,” Paras said.