In the wake of several tragic aviation incidents, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is advocating for the swift passage of Senate Bill 2969, aimed at enhancing aviation safety and security in the Philippines. The urgency of the bill was underscored by a recent crash of a Beechcraft King Air 300 in Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, which claimed the lives of four individuals on February 6, 2025. This incident, along with the crash of a US-contracted surveillance plane in the same region and a fatal helicopter accident in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, has propelled the senator to push for immediate legislative action.
The proposed legislation, known as the NAAP Charter Act, seeks to rename the Philippine State College of Aeronautics to the National Aviation Academy of the Philippines (NAAP). The NAAP would be established as the country’s premier institution for aviation education, tasked with providing top-tier academic and professional training. The bill outlines the academy’s role in producing highly skilled professionals capable of meeting the demands of both the domestic and international aviation sectors.
Under the proposed act, NAAP would be responsible for developing and offering industry-focused programs, fostering collaboration between educational institutions and the aviation industry, and pioneering innovative teaching methods in aviation education. The academy would offer a range of courses, including undergraduate and graduate programs in air transportation, aeronautical engineering with a focus on drone technology, and technical courses in aircraft maintenance and electronics.
The bill also emphasizes the importance of accessibility, mandating NAAP to ensure equitable access to its programs for disadvantaged groups, including indigenous peoples, students from low-income families, and top graduates from public high schools. Additionally, NAAP would provide scholarships and other support programs to assist deserving students in pursuing their aviation education.
Senator Gatchalian highlighted the bill’s potential to elevate the Philippine aviation industry to international standards, stating that the establishment of NAAP would help develop future leaders in the aviation and aerospace sectors, both in the private and public domains. The senator’s push for the bill comes at a time when the PhilSCA system, which would be transformed into NAAP, has been maintaining a significant student enrollment and producing a steady number of graduates each year.