AS PART of the drone policy in Davao City, committee on peace and public safety chairperson Councilor Maria Belen Acosta said the registration of drones should be made locally.
A drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system weighing seven kilograms (15 pounds) or more and drones for commercial use require a UAV certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) in Metro Manila.
In an interview, Acosta told reporters Tuesday, February 12, that during the committee hearing on the proposed policy the Davao Drone Society, a group of hobbyists, expressed concern over the hassle of drone registration.
“Supportive sila sa ordinance kay siyempre ayaw din nila magamit for other purposes ang drones. Naa lang sila’y concern na ang registration diay dili sa Davao (The group has been supportive on the ordinance because they too would not want drones to be used for other purposes. They just have concern on the process of registration),” Acosta said.
“It is so illogical na ang taga-Manila ang magbuot kung unsa ang mahitabo diri sa atong locality (it is so illogical for people in Manila to decide for our city) when we are the ones who know the topography, the geography, the people,” she added.
Acosta added that she already asked Caap Davao to coordinate with Caap Manila for training of Davao City-based personnel who would be in charge of the drone registration in the city.
“It requires technical know-how man pud gud sa registration of drones, it
requires orientation,” Acosta said.
General regulations will remain as is, such as flying only during the day and in good weather; do not let the drone outside of your visual line of sight; do not fly over populated areas, such as schools or marketplaces; do not fly higher than 400 feet above ground level; do not fly closer than 30 meters (98 feet) from persons not involved with the drone’s operation; do not fly closer than 10 kilometers (6 miles) from airports; and do not fly near emergencies, such as fires.
“The drone regulation of Caap will just be incorporated in the local policy but we will have to include drones weighing below seven kilograms,”
she said.