By GENIVI FACTAO

The lack of air safety law and security and technical personnel were the two main reasons behind the downgrade to Category 2 rating of the Philippines by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Executives of the Department of Transportation and Communication refused to divulge where ATO were found lacking saying these are security threats.

The seven areas which the US FAA found the country to be inept were; primary aviation legislation, aviation regulation, technical guidelines, qualified technical personnel, licensing and certification, continued surveillance obligations and resolution on safety issue.

But the Air Transportation Office (ATO) claimed that they are slowly rectifying them and has started crafting the law after the FAA informed them of its findings in October.

In a span of thee months the government vowed to resolve 36 out of the 69 findings of FAA to revert back to Category 1 rating.

President Arroyo yesterday ordered the release P110 million for upgrading and staff training of ATO.

ATO chief Leandro Mendoza said that many of the reasons cited by the FAA for the downgrade to Category 2 will be resolved when congress finally approved the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) bill.

In aviation legislation, FAA made 7 findings. One of them is the need for safety security head.

"This has already been solved during deliberations in the lower house. The resolution for the issues are already in place except for the CAAP which was not yet approved," Capt. Jose Saplan, vice- president for aviation safety division said.

"The FAA team recommends the inclusion of language for International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s model civil aviation law to address the following: penalties, right to access, delegation to powers to CAAP employees and to private persons," the ATO report show.

Mendoza said the creation of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) would provide the system, structure and the mandate required by the ICAO.

Mendoza proves that the aviation legislation is badly needed since ATO at present has no authority to enter in all parts of the airport.

The ATO official also claimed that the maximum allowable penalty that ATO can impose is only P5, 000 under the old law.

For qualified technical personnel, wherein the government has to resolve three out of 11 FAA findings, Mendoza said they are willing to spend to train the 12 check pilots and fill in the 32 checks pilot’s vacancies.

Currently, it has 700 traffic air controllers and will need additional 300.

Mendoza said training for a pilot will need $500 per hour or a total of $20,000 for 10- session training. He added that they also need inspector for every type of aircraft.

For the continued surveillance obligation, out of 9 findings 6 were already closed. At present the ATO taps the Philippine Air Force to augment their people.

Other areas, which FAA found to be lacking, are aviation regulation, with 11 findings, but 6 were already complete. In technical guidelines, the ATO still has to resolve 9 out of the 16 findings.

Among the 13 issues in licensing and certification, 3 have been closed and in resolution on safety issues, they still have to comply with one out of 2 findings.

Mendoza refused to further give information claiming, "There are terrorist’s threats, which may see the gaps."

The ATO chief said he has set up a committee, which will not only address the category 2 issues, but also the airline industry.

It was learned that the Philippine Airlines has sent two experts as well as the Cebu Pacific and International Air Transport Association (IATA).

He added that tourism and trade also sent their experts who will be resource persons for ATO.

ATO hired 5 consultants who are ICAO experts for technical needs of the institution.