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Management and landside operations of airports in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are now under the Bangsamoro Airport Authority (BAA)
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The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) transferred those duties through a memorandum of agreement that CAAP and BAA signed on September 20 in Maguindanao del Norte
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Airports covered by the MOA are those operating in Cotabato, Sanga-Sanga, Jolo, Mapun, as well as the non-operational airports in Malabang and Wao
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CAAP will retain airside operational control
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has taken over management of the region’s airports.
In a memorandum of agreement signed on September 20 in Maguindanao del Norte, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) transferred the management and landside operations of airports in BARMM to the Bangsamoro Airport Authority (BAA), the Bangsamoro Information Office said in a statement.
BAA – one of the sectoral offices under BARMM’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) – manages, supervises, and controls government airports within BARMM. Airside operations, including aircraft control and navigational aids and facilities, however, remain under the control and supervision of the national government.
Under the MOA, CAAP will completely transfer to BAA all properties, assets, powers, and functions pertaining to the landside management of the operational airports in Cotabato, Sanga-Sanga, Jolo, Mapun, as well as the non-operational airports in Malabang and Wao.
In addition, CAAP agreed to transfer to BAA the airport structure and facilities in the airports’ landside operations.
The landside portion includes the passenger terminal building, administrative building, vehicular parking area, and other facilities or areas that are not restricted and/or not part of air navigational aids and facilities.
CAAP will retain airside operational control, including runways, taxiways, and ramps, airport control tower, power plant, and flight service station building, air traffic administration building, aircraft rescue and firefighting, and air navigation equipment and facilities.
“With this turnover come great responsibilities for the BAA and MOTC. We commit, of course, to fulfill these responsibilities to the best we could, but we would still need guidance and assistance from our bigger and older siblings, the DOTr [Department of Transportation] and CAAP,” MOTC Minister Dickson Hermoso said.
CAAP will provide technical assistance to BAA through training, seminars, and other activities which will enhance the capacity of the latter to perform its functions.
CAAP will also still provide financial support for the covered airports’ maintenance and other operating expenses until December 31, 2022.
On March 27, 2021, the DOTr officially turned over its functions and assets to MOTC. Other transport agencies’ operations and offices have also transferred their functions and assets to their counterpart sectoral offices of MOTC since 2021.
BARMM, the only region with its own government, consists of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
