THE unilateral focus on institutional strengthening and operational efficiency that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) under the stewardship of Director General Lt. Gen. William K. Hotchkiss III AFP (Ret.) has adopted since June 2012, had resulted in the removal of all sanctions imposed on Philippine civil aviation since 2008.With the regaining of its Category 1 aviation safety rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last April 10, 2014, Caap has primed the civil aviation sector for growth and development. To capitalize on this remarkable achievement and the advantageous situation it has created for the Philippine civil aviation sector, Caap has formulated Flight Plan 2020, its strategic roadmap for sustainability, to ensure the continued viability and profitability of its stakeholders and substantiate its intent of being an active player in regional civil aviation in view of the transformative impact of the emergent Single Aviation Market among the 10 member-states that constitute the Association of South East Asian Nations beginning 2015. The perceptible vibrancy in the growth of civil aviation regionally and globally provides the impetus for this motivation.
Compliance to international aviation safety standards embodies Caap’s fidelity to its vision of being a preeminent civil aviation authority (Caa) in the world and a global brand of excellence in civil aviation and its commitment to its mission of ensuring a safe, secure and green Philippine skies. It also one of the vital foundation of Caap’s Twin Pillars of Regulatory Framework. Fairness, integrity, accountability and transparency are the corporate values that define its interaction with both domestic and global stakeholders in discharging its mandate as the regulator of Philippine civil aviation “to provide safe and efficient air transport and regulatory services in the Philippines” (Chapter 1, Section 2. Declaration of Policy) as stipulated in its enabling law Republic Act 9497 for the welfare and benefit of air travelers. These values are instilled across the organization through reforms undertaken to ensure the responsiveness of Caap to the needs of its stakeholders.
Upholding the standing of the Philippines as a sovereign state in the community of nations is affirmed as a fundamental tenet by Caap by adhering
to its principles of “Sovereignty indivisible with National Security” and “Reciprocity indivisible with Parity.” It is also the confirmation of its role as administrator and guardian of the airspace of the country, or the Philippine Flight Information Region.
Espousing its unwavering belief in the innate talents of the Filipino, Caap is broadening its reach and intensifying its efforts to attract fresh, young and competent recruits to join the aviation sector through its Next Generation of Aviation Professional program. Envisioned to be the products of globally-accredited training courses with skills and competence that are internationally recognized underlie its aspiration that “Yes, the Filipino Can.” With the tremendous linkages that can be created by these opportunities for the country and the Filipino people, Caap’s dream that “The Future is in the Skies” shall have been given full meaning.