Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) Advocacy

Earlier this month, the Asian Business Aviation Association held a meeting with industry stakeholders to discuss next steps in advocating for the creation of the Philippine Transportation Safety Board. The meeting included AsBAA leadership, AsBAA member Ocampo, Manalo, Valdez & Lim Law Firm, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Arangkada Philippines (A Project of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines), and others. 

AsBAA is lobbying in support of the unification of two bills in the Philippine Congress that, if ratified by Congress and signed into law by President Duterte, would create the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB). The two bills are House Bill 9030 and Senate Bill 1077. AsBAA reviewed both bills and formally corresponded with the Philippine House of Representatives and Senate, and conveyed the importance of having a national transportation safety board independent of the Department of Transportation to carry out independent accident investigation to facilitate the continued, sustainable growth of the Philippine's aviation industry and economy.

AsBAA also sought the support of IBAC and the NTSB on this matter, and IBAC has also corresponded with both the House and Senate in support of the creation of a PTSB in accordance with standards and recommended practices of ICAO Annex 13. The NTSB has formally responded to AsBAA and confirmed that the support request is currently under their internal review. 

Once signed into law, the PTSB would be a non-regulatory, independent investigative agency attached to the Office of the President.