Monday, 13 September 2010 00:00
THE MANILA TIMES
An official from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) cast doubts over the viability of quickly shifting towards an open-skies policy following President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s threat to adopt the said scheme, should workers of Philippine Airlines (PAL) push through with their planned strike. Transportation and Communications spokesman Dante Velasco said opening the skies is “easier said than done.”
He added that extra care should be observed to ensure that deals with foreign air carriers under an open-skies policy would strictly comply with the 1987 Constitution’s requirement of “reciprocity.”
“We allow airlines from abroad to land on our airports and allow our own carriers to land at their airports. Reciprocity is enshrined in our Constitution,” Velasco said in an interview aired over dzBB radio.
“The government can work towards an open-skies policy, but there are a lot of things to be done,” Velasco said.
Reciprocity
Velasco cited Section 13, Article 12 of the Philippine Constitution which said, “[the] State shall pursue a trade policy that serves the general welfare and utilizes all forms and arrangements of exchange on the basis of equality and reciprocity.”
He noted that reciprocity would also involve equal seats of flights from PAL to foreign destinations, and foreign airlines’ Philippine-bound flights.
“The seats PAL can provide for foreign destinations must be reciprocal to the seats foreign carriers can provide for Philippine-bound flights. We are studying the details of the matter,” he said.
According to Velasco, Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus and Department of Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim had already been “exchanging notes” regarding the policy with the government’s economic advisers.
“I agree with the President on the open-skies policy, but we’re a long way from being there. Of course we are still hoping PAL management and the attendants can thresh out their differences,” Velasco said in Filipino.
The study on the details of an open-skies policy began in August, when PAL pilots suddenly stopped showing up for work, shortly after handing their resignation letters.
Labor dispute
Last week, the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap) filed a notice of strike before the Department of Labor and Employment.
Fasap explained that the strike is aimed at PAL’s “discriminatory” policies, which include setting the mandatory retirement age at 40 years old. The airline company, however, insisted that the policy was included in their collective bargaining agreement.
The PAL-Fasap row is already with the Labor Department, which vowed to hold marathon meetings with PAL management and the attendants during a 30-day cooling-off period to head off the strike.
“In the meantime, we will monitor developments about the impending strike. We are hoping it will not push through so we will not have to go to the next step of implementing the open-skies policy,” Velasco said.
He added that for now, the PAL row is a “labor issue.”
“Pag medyo magkakaproblema na, may disruption of operations, papasok ang DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications] to implement the open-skies policy [If the row already causes disruption of PAL’s operations, the DOTC will come in and implement the open-skies policy],” he said.
Contingency plans
Meanwhile, de Jesus said they have started threshing out contingency plans for a possible strike that may cripple the flag-carrier.
De Jesus revealed that he has been meeting frequently with concerned government agencies to discuss the details of the plans.
“We are now drawing up contingency plans to minimize the disruption to PAL operations. Of course you have heard or read about the President making an appeal to PAL and the [flight attendants’] union to try to settle their differences so there will be no disruption in the service of PAL,” he said on government-run dzRB radio.
However, de Jesus did not say if the contingency plans are made in coordination with PAL management, which earlier admitted that it is setting its own contingency measures should the strike push through.
de Jesus has yet to give details regarding the government’s contingency plans.
Meanwhile, de Jesus admitted there is still no definite policy on President Aquino’s threat to open up Philippine skies to foreign airlines if a strike cripples PAL.
“[But] our government, the Cabinet and the President, regardless of whatever anybody else thinks what is best for the country, will do what is best for the majority, and not for a few interest groups,” he added.
In Malacañang, meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Palace will still request PAL and the Fasap to peacefully settle their disputes so the riding public will not be inconvenienced.”
FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO
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