New CAAP chief takes over

MANILA, Philippines -  President Aquino has sworn in Ramon Gutierrez as the new director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Gutierrez obtained his bachelor’s degree from the Philippine Military Academy in 1978 and his master’s degree in management from the Asian Institute of Management in1996.

Gutierrez had served in the government as a military intelligence attaché in Hong Kong.

He also worked as operations manager of the Ayala Aviation, president and chief operating officer of Corporate Air, Inc., and was in the board of directors of Zest Airways.

Aquino has also signed the appointment papers of seven new CAAP officials whose recommendations by Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus were earlier turned down by the Civil Service Commission.

These are: Wilson Mirabona, Assistant Director General; Napoleon Garcia, Deputy Director General for Operations; John Roa Andrews, Deputy Director General for Administration; Willy Borja, Assistant General II, Air Traffic Service; Elmer Peña, Assistant General II, Flight Standard Inspectorate Service; Andrew Basallote, Assistant General II, Air Navigation Service; and Edgardo Costes, Assistant General II, Aerodrome Management Service.

Gutierrez said the CAAP would now be able to focus on the concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization and regain the category 1 status once enjoyed by the country’s aviation sector.