BIRDS STRIKES @ NAIA

BIRDS STRIKES AT NAIA!

(From left: Lt. Gen. William K. Hotchkiss, CAAP Director General with   

Capt. John Andrews, Deputy General for Operations, CAAP)

 Bird strike Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) does not only poses an imminent danger to the safety of airlines and its passengers at , but also a threat to our country’s economy as well. We may never earn an upgrade of our aviation safety classification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to boost our tourism industry and increase commercial activities in the metropolis and parts of central Luzon, because of such issue, other than the modernization of our airports.
 

Lately, there was tremendous increase of bird strikes at NAIA.  There were  49  bird strike recorded by CAAP from January to September, compared to 30 bird strikes in 2011 and 25 in 2010, which makes the makes the danger more imminent.  Thus, NAIA was prompted to issue a warning to the pilots of the danger to land and take off at NAIA. 

It was reported that a Philippine Airlines (PAL) Flight PR 124 to Manila was canceled last September after birds got sucked into the plane’s engine in order to ensure the safety of passengers and crew. Cebu Pacific's Cotabato-Manila flight was delayed for more than four hours also in the same month.  Earlier in July, it was reported that  PAL flight PR 105 that just arrived in Manila from Guam in also suffered from the same incident and the aircraft’s entire set of fan blades had to be replaced due to irreparable damage. It was reported by TV 5 News that from January to July this year, 39 bird strikes have been reported at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), 50 percent more than the same period last year, data from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) indicated.  These incidents involve aircraft of Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, Cathay Pacific, Jet Star Asia, Air Philippines Express, and Qatar Airways.
 
The population of migratory birds nesting at the Las-Piñas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Eco Tourism area located about 15 kilometer away from NAIA . . .  DOUBLE CLICK HERE TO WITNESS BY YOURSELF

MARITINE INDUSTRY IN DANGER OF PERIL!

Indefinite suspension of licenses to operate manning agencies pending litigation of a case is endangering  the maritime industry to the detriment of the Philippine economy!

This is what happened to the 300 seafarers of Gyron Crew Incorporation and Manning Agency (GCIMA). A complaint was filed by three former recruits of GCIMA leading to the suspension of its license to operate. Consequently, the contract of 300 seafarers due to be deployed to Netherlands were put on hold, many of whom were about to leave the country. Meanwhile, the case remains pending for more than sixty (60) days, while it was reported that a new law was passed in Holland allegedly banning Filipino seafarers. 

Despite previous withdrawal of the complaint by two of the complainants, while the other one already left the country, the case still remains pending litigation for more than two months, alleged Bosun Jeric Bilbao, representing the seafarers. Atty. Jesus Gabriel "Jeriel" Domingo, OIC, Adjudication Office, POEA, replied: “our hands are tied by the law . . . we must observe the requirement of due process”, when confronted by the seafarers, during the Balitaan sa Aloha media forum on October 10, 2012. However, the case has not yet been resolved to date. On the other hand, millions of pesos due to the seafarers and the government were already lost.

This is a dangerous precedent! 

HEAR IT FROM THE PARTIES PERSONALLY.  DOUBLE CLICK HERE