Group bares agenda for Clark airport dev’t

• Source:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2016/02/02/group-bares-agenda-clark-airport-devt-455093
• Tuesday, February 2, 2016

By Reynaldo G. Navales

ANGELES CITY -- A local political party here has presented a four-point agenda for the development of Clark International Airport (CRK) and decongestion of Metro Manila and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

In a position paper, the Partido Abe Kapampangan, a duly recognized local political party in this highly urbanized city, urged national leaders, presidential candidates, vice-presidentiables, and senator wannabes to consider the implementation of the group’s proposals.

Alex Cauguiran, president of the Partido Abe Kapampangan and chief of staff of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, said the first point is the legislation of the Manila-Clark Dual Airport System as priority national policy.

The national leadership, including the President, should direct the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to establish and implement an Air Traffic Distribution Policy for NAIA and Clark airport.

The second agenda is the legislation of a moratorium in the collection of travel tax in all airports in the country except NAIA, Caguiran said.

The third measure is to legislate exemption of Philippine carriers flying domestic routes in all airports except Manila from payment of excise and value added taxes on their aviation fuel.

The group also urged the national leadership to direct the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Health (DOH) and other government agencies to ensure that pre-employment procedures and services required of Overseas Filipino Workers are available near Clark airport, preferably under a One-Stop Government Center.

“We believe that NAIA is in a situation worse than EDSA [Efipanio Delos Santos Avenue]. Delays in flights due to congestion of air traffic resulting to untold opportunity losses, is already regular occurrence. There is no option at hand other than opening a new international airport which would take decades and tens of billions of pesos to complete,” Cauguiran said.

Clark airport is waiting to be utilized, he said.

The interest of the Partido Abe Kapampangan on the issue lies on the expected boost the airport can bring to the local and national economy, which may result in more jobs and business opportunities for the Filipinos, he added.

Cauguiran stressed that the local political party will support [national leaders and candidates] who see the wisdom of their position regarding the development and utilization of Clark airport.

At certain hours, NAIA services 46 to 48 aircraft movements per hour. It posted a traffic volume of 32,865,000 passengers in 2013 and 34,015,169 in 2014.

Clark airport on the other hand recorded 1,200,592 passengers and only 877,757 in 2014, Cauguiran said.

CRK’s runway capacity may easily be increased with the installation of additional aircraft stands and parking bays, he added.

Aside from these, Clark airport also has enough area where another runway that allow simultaneous take-off and landing of aircraft, Caugurian said.

Executive Orders 28 and 29, signed by President Aquino in 2011, encourage more liberal access to secondary international airports like Clark, Iloilo, and Mactan-Cebu, he added.