Parañaque supports wider NAIA ban on bird breeding

MANILA, Philippines - The Parañaque City government has expressed its support for a proposal of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) general manager Jose Angel Honrado widening the ban on the breeding of pigeons and other bird species within 13 kilometers (eight miles) from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Joseph Agustin, officer-in-charge of the NAIA airport ground operations and safety division said Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. will fasttrack the proposed ordinance banning the breeding of birds within a 13-kilometer radius of NAIA.

“We are now in close coordination with the main author of the proposed ordinance, Councilor Ricardo Baes, and by early next week, we shall have furnished him the final draft of the proposed legislation,” Agustin said.

Bird breeding, kite flying, and the operation of remote-controlled scale model aircraft are banned within one mile (1.6 kilometers) from NAIA to prevent bird strikes and similar incidents.

Baes originally proposed to widen the ban to 2.5 miles (four kilometers), but after a consultative meeting attended by airport and airline officials at the MIAA office yesterday, Agustin said they have unanimously agreed to suggest that the ban be at 13 kilometers to meet international standards.

Agustin said their primary concern is to prevent a disaster from happening.

“Honrado had instructed us to exhaust all means to improve our bird hazard risk mitigating measures, and coordinating efforts with neighboring local government units are underway to address the issue,” he said.

Those who attended the stakeholders’ meeting, according to Agustin, also agreed to form a “bird strike committee,” an inter-office coordinating arm to be chaired by the MIAA general manager and the body would be composed of representatives from all domestic airlines.

Among those who attended the meeting were Philippine Airlines assistant vice president for safety Enrique Clemente, Sea Air security officer Julian Abunaler, Zest Air safety officer Darwin Lacana, Cebu Pacific safety engineer Ralph Fango, MIAA official Alvin Candelarin.