Thursday, March 20, 2008
Airport board to tackle proposed changes to charter
THE management of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) submitted to the board for deliberation last Tuesday its position paper for the amendments of Republic Act (RA) 6958 or the MCIAA Charter.
MCIAA General Manager Danilo Augusto Francia said they have additional amendments to the charter on top of the proposals filed by Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district) and Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north).
In his House Bill 2310, Garcia proposed exempting MCIAA from paying taxes to the Lapu-Lapu City Government. He also wants the general manager to be appointed by the President, and not by the MCIAA board alone.
Transportation
On the other hand, del Mar wants to include the Lapu-Lapu City mayor as a member of the MCIAA board.
The House Committee on Transportation conducted a hearing last month and the MCIAA was given 30 days to submit and present during the next hearing its position paper for whatever additional amendments it has.
Francia said the endorsement and go-signal of the MCIAA board will make it official.
As early as 2005, President Arroyo issued Executive Order (EO) 366, requiring all national government agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) to streamline services.
As a government corporation under the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), the MCIAA management had reviewed its mandated functions, structures, staffing and resource allocation.
There was also a suggestion to merge the MCIAA’s general service department with the engineering and civil works department to maximize coordination and responsiveness.
It was also suggested that the heavy transport division be merged with the mechanical division, and the electronics division with the electrical division.
But Francia did not divulge whether these three-year-old suggestions will be included in the list of amendments.
Del Mar said the hearing of the amendments will resume next month, giving MCIAA enough time to prepare and submit its position paper.
Aside from Garcia and del Mar, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) also filed House Bill 3676, amending the MCIAA Charter.
In her amendatory bill, Soon-Ruiz added “Paragraph K” of Section 1 of RA 6958, which provides “to design and adopt an early retirement plan and/or financial assistance for the retirement of its personnel.
“Paragraph I” also for Section 1 provides to establish a provident fund, which shall be available to its employees for emergency needs in form of emergency, school and educational, hospitalization and minor but immediate house repair loans. (EOB)
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