CLARK FREEPORT ZONE —Top officials of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) recently met with representatives from the Bureau of Customs Port of Clark, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine National Police Aviation Security Unit, and the Bureau of Quarantine to ensure government services are efficiently delivered to the traveling public.

CIAC is the government-owned corporation managing the Clark Civil Aviation Complex and must not be confused with the private company Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp (LIPAD) which is now the operator of the privatized Clark International Airport.

In a statement, CIAC acting president Nancy Paglinawan said the agencies committed to ensure rigid compliance with the provisions of the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) that aims to promote transparency in government transactions with the public and at the same time for the safety of passengers at the Clark airport.

Paglinawan pointed out that, “As in any part of the globe, airports are public utilities and a public concern, so a major part of the government’s oversight functions is information exchange with major frontline agencies.”

“The regular inter-agency dialogue is essential for all of us to revisit government protocols and comply with ARTA, to immediately address concerns, to formulate service standards and improve frontline service procedures,” Paglinawan noted.

“We have to ensure that the airport facility is operated and maintained safely and securely in accordance with international standards, and other safety and security laws, rules and regulations,” Paglinawan added.

The Department of Transportation late last year assigned CIAC to exercise oversight functions and regulatory supervision by convening Clark-based government agencies, and the monitoring of activities occurring within the aviation complex, including the Clark International Airport operated by the private consortium.

Other government agencies involved in airport operations are the Office of Transportation Security, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Bureau of Plant Industries.

Photo: CIAC