COME backing Monico O. Puentevella who served his full three terms as Congressman of the Lone District of Bacolod has performed fully well his mandate as a legislator of this country and one of the flagship legislations that he was part of was the passage and enactment of Republic Act (RA) 9497, or the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008, which was created in line with the State’s policy to provide safe and efficient air transport and regulatory services.
“People love to travel and their safety is paramount to me and to our government. With this law, the policy on air navigation has been strengthened as this law provides jurisdiction over the restructuring of the civil aviation system, as well as the promotion, development and regulation of the technical, operational, safety and aviation security functions,” he said.
RA 9497 was approved and made into law on March 4, 2008 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
It has paved the way for the creation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, otherwise known as CAAP, an independent regulatory body with quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative powers and corporate attributes.
Following its approval in 2008, co-author and 1st District of Compostela Valley Representative Manuel Zamora said RA 9497 came as an impetus to the advancing and modernization of aviation standards and increasing interdependence of the air transportation industry. As such, a move from both the lower and upper house to consolidate for an Act that calls for a comprehensive overhaul of RA 776 that created the Civil Aeronautics Administration in 1952.
The CAAP took over the previous Air Transportation Office as the new governing aviation body that is financially self-sufficient and without bureaucratic constraints.
For his part, then Congressman Puentevella pointed to then President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s inclusion of air transportation infrastructure as part of the country’s economic progress.
Also, he stressed that the CAAP is the sole authority to handle technical, economic, security and safety concerns that will make the flow of aviation more systematic and coordinated.
Meanwhile, heading the CAAP is a President-appointed Governor General and shall be responsible for the exercise of all powers and the discharge of all duties of the Authority.
Its corporate powers meanwhile is administered by a board. Its members include the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications as chairman ex officio; the appointed Director General as vice chairman; Secretary of Finance; Secretary of Foreign Affairs; Secretary of Justice; Secretary of the Interior and Local Government and Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment.
In exercise and performance of its powers and duties, the CAAP shall put into consideration the public interest, convenience and necessity to develop and utilize air potential of the country, encourage the development of an air transportation system properly adapted to the present and future of foreign and domestic commerce, regulate air transport to support sound economic condition and to improve relations between air carriers, ensure safety, quality, reliability and affordability of services to the riding public and push forward a viable and globally competitive Philippine Aviation Authority.
Air Traffic, Air Navigation, Aerodrome Development and Management and Administrative and Finance Services are permanent offices the members of the Board, alongside the Director General established upon the acceptance of their duties and responsibilities. The Office of the Enforcement and Legal Service meanwhile is tasked to implement the civil aviation regulatory, supervisory and administrative mandates of the Director General, whose authority include the Right of Access for Inspection, Authority to Prevent Flight, Promotion of Safety, Authority to Claim Airmen and Issue Airworthiness Certificates, among others. (CNC)