CAAP raises budget for area managers to P5 million

MANILA, Philippines —The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has increased its capital spending budget for each area center manager to P5 million ($104,567.54) per project to provide elbow room in undertaking improvements in the country’s airports.

CAAP said in a statement on Thursday, January 28, that its director general William Hotchkiss III approved last December the revision of Authority Order 78-14, which originally limited the capital outlay acquisition for area center managers to P3 million ($62,740.94).

The aviation authority said it had also issued guidelines for the use of procurement funds in 84 CAAP-run airports.

Based on the revised order, area center managers are given the authority to approve purchase orders, job orders, work orders, requisitions, or contracts for infrastructure projects and capital outlay acquisitions. The amount involved, however, should not exceed P5 million ($104,567.54).

CAAP said that the order would address the urgently-needed facilities in some regional airports.

Citing Davao City airport as an example, CAAP said its area manager can use the budget to buy 16 units of split-type air conditioners and industrial fans to replace its 12-year-old damaged air-conditioning system.

The Davao airport operates 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, hosting several international flights, including SilkAir and Cebu Pacific flights to Singapore, and 56 domestic flights daily.  

“For the last 3 years, the air-conditioning system at the Davao airport has been problematic. Biddings for its replacement have failed because the original manufacturer of the system no longer exists,” CAAP said.

Instead of allowing hundreds of passengers to wither in the heat, its area center manager was able to use the allocated funds to purchase through bidding 16 air-conditioning units and industrial fans.

The Davao area manager said the CAAP director general’s order to increase budget “is economical and practical and would save time to the ultimate benefit of the flying public.” – Rappler.com

$1=P47.81