The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking for innovative ways to boost air travel in the Philippines, while strictly implementing safety measures against the spread of COVID-19, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said Wednesday, 14 December 2022.
At the 15th meeting of the Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation (CAPSCA), Secretary Bautista said that while the government eased COVID-19 restrictions, the DOTr continues to implement safety protocols in public transportation.
“In the Philippines, we have not totally abandoned health protocols at airports even with the surge of revenge travel,” Secretary Bautista said.
“While the government had eased health protocols including voluntary use of face masks at public places, we at the Department of Transportation maintained its use whenever using public transport,” he added.
Secretary Bautista lamented the aviation sector’s preparation for such outbreaks since 2006 through the CAPSCA.
“We started for a global health crisis since 2006. Now the COVID-19 pandemic happened. Did we succeed in containing the COVID-19 virus?” Secretary Bautista said, adding that preparations for a similar outbreaks start right after a global pandemic.
The transport chief pointed out that the DOTr has been implementing “calculated measures” to revive the country’s economy and air transport industry, especially with eased COVID-19 restrictions.
“We are now pinning our hopes to accelerate the global economic rebound through calculated measures to revive the air transport industry,” Secretary Bautista said.
The DOTr likewise has advocated cross-agency communications, not only among other countries and international aviation bodies, Secretary Bautista said, adding that local health and industry stakeholders will play a crucial role in reviving the aviation sector.
A voluntary cross-sectorial, multi-organizational collaboration program managed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), the CAPSCA brings together international, regional, national and local organizations to combine efforts to improve preparedness planning and response to public health events that affect the aviation sector.
The CAPSCA collaboration program has been working with participating countries, airport and aircraft operators, air navigation service providers, as well as United Nations (UN) organizations and other international organizations.
