Lawmaker denounces open-skies policy

by Rey T. Salita
Manila Standard Today
May 2, 2011

SENATOR Sergio Osmena II has expressed dismay over the administration’s plan to seek reciprocity from other countries to allow Philippine air carriers take additional flights after Malacanang had declared an open skies policy last month.

The move is too late because the government has already waived its negotiating position when it declared its open skies unilaterally before asking the other countries for the Philippines to be extended the same courtesy.

“It’s going be harder to remedy now because of the open skies. I am pretty disappointed on the way they made that decision and the manner by which they carried it out,” Osmena said.

Osmena was referring to President Aquino’s executive order no. 29 that gave foreign airlines wider access to the Philippines in the hope of boosting tourism from the Unites States and Europe.

“According to the Department of Tourism and Civil Aeronautics Board, if you open it up, they will come. I don’t think it will be that easy,” Osmena said.

The move had compromised and placed at a disadvantage the country’s air carriers particularly Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines/Airphil Express, Zest Airways, Seair and the Spirit of Manila.

“It is painful we gave something away free when we could have gotten something in return,” Osmena said.

Aquino’s order, Osmena said, scrapped restrictions over the country’s airports and empowered the government to “offer third, fourth, and fifth freedom rights to Philip-pine international airports except NAIA without restriction as to frequency, capacity, type of (foreign commercial) aircraft and other arrangements that will serve national interest.

Osmena said surrendering the country’s fifth freedom rights allow foreign carriers to pick up local passengers, mostly Filipino workers overseas, to destinations in the United States and Europe, thereby “inconveniencing” the local airlines.