Belmonte cautions vs haste in adopting open skies policy

By Jess Diaz  (The Philippine Star) Updated October 23, 2010 12:00 AM

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Belmonte said the government should first improve aviation and tourism infrastructure before Malacañang or Congress could consider such a policy.

 He said modernization of tourism and air transport facilities, not liberalization of air policy alone, could be the key to attracting more foreign tourists to the Philippines.

“It think it is the whole system, not only open skies, that should be considered to make us more competitive,” he said.       

Belmonte noted that Malaysia has become a major tourist destination in Asia largely because it offers modern, state-of-the-art facilities to visitors.

 He suggested that the P15-billion fund for public-private partnerships in President Aquino’s proposed P1.6-trillion 2011 national budget should cover tourism and aviation infrastructure.

The fund is principally intended for toll roads and airports.

 The “open skies” issue has come up every now and then because of the still unresolved labor problem plaguing flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Mr. Aquino has repeatedly threatened to consider such a policy if PAL management and the airline’s workers failed to resolve their dispute and the latter declared a strike.

Since national interest was involved, the Department of Labor has decided to assume jurisdiction over the problem, effectively preventing PAL’s workers from striking.

 In a recent House budget hearing, Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim advocated a “pocket open skies” policy that would open some parts of the country to foreign carriers.

He said when such a policy was adopted in Clark, tourist arrivals at the free port increased significantly.

He said the same is true in Bali, Indonesia and Siem Reap, Cambodia, and in Vietnam.

He did not say though which parts of the country he wanted opened to foreign airlines.

In the same budget hearing, Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez said Chinese tourists from Hong Kong and Macau continued to arrive at the free port in Sta. Ana, Cagayan even in the wake of the bloody Manila hostage-taking incident.

A company in which Benitez has some financial interest operates an integrated leisure and entertainment complex at the free port.

Planeloads of Hong Kong and Macau tourists visit the complex every week, Benitez said.