The Philippine aviation regulatory agency has been allocated a higher budget this year while the maritime authority’s funding was cut.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), which is tasked to promote and regulate the country’s air transportation sector, got a budget of P109.210 million, up 11.6% from P97.867 million in 2016, according to the General Appropriations Act of 2017 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte before the end of last year.
This year, CAB is once again tasked to achieve a 5% increase in domestic seats offered and another 5% in international seats. The aeronautics board also aims to improve by 1% the number of domestic routes to 85 and that of international routes by 3% to 81.
For passage, CAB will work on expanding passenger volume 5% for both domestic and international flights.
The board is also tasked to conduct, review, or update six air agreements negotiations.
The Maritime Industry Authority’s (Marina) budget, meanwhile, was decreased 38% to P801.288 million from P1.291 billion in 2016.
Mandated to administer an integrated and sustainable maritime industry, Marina is again directed this year to increase the country’s operating merchant fleet by 3%, or 6,442, with a baseline of 6,254. It is also ordered to process 68,279 applications for new and renewal of permits, licenses, and certificates of vessels, higher than the 46,721 applications targeted in 2016.
The agency will also seek to expand the number of certified seafarers by 5% and domestic seafarers by 2% while reducing maritime-related accidents by 1%.
Its other 2017 targets include updating 90% of its policies, rules, and regulations that have remained unchanged over the last three years, and getting a “satisfactory” or “better” rating for its policies from 70% of its clients.
In addition to Marina’s budget, P25 million is being allocated for the promotion and development of the domestic shipping industry, enhancement of maritime safety, and promotion of the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. The budget will be sourced from the annual tonnage fees collected by Marina from ship owners and operators.
The Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Office of the Secretary (Osec), meanwhile, gets a 32% hike in budget to P46.165 billion this year from P35.004 billion last year. Including budgets for its attached agencies, DOTr’s total budget is P53.3 billion, 25% higher than its 2016 allocation.
On top of the Osec’s budget, a special provision is made to use P14.751 billion of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Strategic Support Fund to pay for right-of-way expenses; North-South Rail Project Phases 1 and 2; Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension project; Integrated Transport System Project; Metro Rail Transit 3 Rehabilitation and Capacity Expansion; and other PPP transport infrastructure projects.
Another P6.764 billion is allocated for the LRT Line 1 North extension (common station); LRT Line 1 Dasmariñas Line; LRT Line 2 West extension; LRT Line 2 East extension; and LRT Line 1 Cavite extension.
An additional P6.777 billion will be used to construct various airports and navigational facilities.
For resettling families to be affected by the North-South Railway project, a budget of P5.015 billion is allocated.
A special vehicle pollution control fund of P801.832 million will also be provided to the Land Transportation Office, to be sourced from the Motor Vehicle User’s Charge.
Another P82.859 million will be used for LTO’s campaigns to promote seatbelt use, the money to come from fines collected from seatbelt-use violators.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
