COTABATO CITY — “This bill seeks to ensure an integrated manner of operating regional airport terminals and avoid conflicting policies and programs on airport maintenance, operation, and development,” Member of the Parliament Amilbahar Mawallil, main author of the BTA Bill No. 180, stated.
According to MP Mawallil, insufficient infrastructure facilities have caused BARMM to lag behind other regions.
“This is especially true for domestic airport transport facilities in the region, which is a major constraint in increasing regional investment and development,” he emphasized.
The BARMM Airport Terminal Act of 2022 also seeks to institutionalize the process of developing and submitting master plans for all BARMM airports, intending to make regional planners aware of the most important considerations to avoid major errors and aid in providing a basis for preliminary studies.
An airport passenger terminal design and master plan will be developed for the long-term development of all airport passenger terminal infrastructure and facilities in the region. This will be submitted by airport operators to support the modernization of existing airport facilities within BARMM.
Moreover, the proposed measure seeks also to create an airport facilities advisory committee.
This committee will serve as the official body in coordinating projects and plans for the repair, maintenance, and development of all airport passenger terminals and facilities in the Bangsamoro region.
To advocate for and encourage respect for disabled persons, BTA Bill No. 180 provides architectural and structural features in airports for disabled persons.
Considering land-use and environmental control measures, the architectural and infrastructure-related requirements and alterations to existing facilities for the optimum implementation of international civil aviation measures shall be integrated into the design of all regional airport facilities.
“The aim is to provide the best possible conditions for the needs of the airport, the community in the surrounding area, and the ecology of the environment,” he added. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)