BY JOHNNY NOVERA
WE wrote last week an item in our column (“Entry of foreigners in PH”), expressing our national security concern for House Bill No. 3984, approved by the Lower House allowing the entry of foreign banks that can set up offices anywhere in the country just like local banks.
We are surprised to read later in a national newspaper that the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), along the stand of Standard and Poor (S&P), a leading investment rating agency, has objected to such a move as detrimental to the country since we already have enough banks to serve our needs. In fact, there is too much unused money in our banking system that at one time we just had to park the funds in special time deposit with Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and earn a special interest income.
It is strange that House Bill No. 3984 had on record the UNANIMOUS vote of the House (98 to 0), even if there was not much opportunity to get the views of those in the industry before it was passed.
As we said, we already have a big network of banks consisting of 9,884 units and 14,528 ATMs (automated teller machines). BSP, however, must ask, especially the big banks, to put up branches or offices not only in the major cities and urban centers but also in outlying areas at the countryside where there is no banking service.
AIR LANDINGS
Now, we would like to go back to the subject in our past columns about re-directing air landings in Metro Manila to the Iloilo International Airport because of the increasing risks and danger of more planes using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In our column of May 23, 2014 (“Shift NAIA landings to Iloilo urgent”), we pointed out that take-offs and landings at NAIA are only 54 seconds apart while the ideal is about three minutes.
We also mentioned the fact that the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific that are using the airport have been allowed to fly to Europe and the US. Likewise, Emirates and Qatar Airways have applied for additional flights.
Now there is the announcement from Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla that another deal entered into between Canada and the Philippines will increase the flight entitlements between the two countries from seven flights to 14 flights per week on each side. Canada is a very strong air market for the Philippines with 800,000 Filipinos residing there.
The Philippines also closed an air deal with Burma (Myanmar) for direct flights between the two countries, allowing a total of 3,780 seats, or three flights per week between Manila and Burma. The parties additionally agreed for access to all points in the Philippines, except Manila, and also, on our part, to all points in Burma. We further gathered that the Philippines is also looking forward to hold talks with South Korea, Russia and African countries like Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya.
With the foregoing developments, we must ask NAIA’s management if the airport is not indeed very crowded even now with great risks beyond its capacity to handle?
It is urgent that it must consider our idea of transferring some flight landings to Iloilo if only to immediate ease the danger. (For comments or reactions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
