For MCIAA General Manager: Presidential endorsement not assurance for Villarete

CEBU, Philippines – An endorsement letter from President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III does not make it automatic for Nigel Paul Villarete to be appointed as general manager of the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

During the first meeting of the new board yesterday, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said that they discussed Aquino's "I desire" letter but it was referred to the committee on good governance of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) Board to do the screening.

Garcia said taking into consideration the President's choice was done out of courtesy but it is "not enshrined in the Charter."

Aquino was reportedly manifesting his choice for Villarete to the position but the MCIAA Charter provides that it is the Board that appoints the general manager.

Garcia said that this is not a practice that had always been there since the authority was created. This only started during the time of former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada, when the board, "out of courtesy," gave him the opportunity to indicate his choice.

There were no "I desire" letters during the time of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos.

Aside from Villarete, there are other applicants to the post although Gov. Garcia said she has not seen their papers yet.

"This is a new Board, the power to define such guidelines and policies continues to be exercised by the board, then such qualifications may even be further enhanced considering that running an airport, especially the MCIA which has P1-billion gross income annually, calls for very stringent qualifications," Garcia said.

Garcia said that the appointment of the four private sector representatives (PSRs) managed to keep politics out in the board.

"It would be a pity if this position would be politicized," Garcia said.

"All we ask for is that we do this the right way and look for the most qualified person to be general manager of MCIA," she added.

It has been an issue long before when the Civil Service Commission disapproved the appointment of new general manager of MCIA for insisting that the position calls for a rank of Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) IV.

"It seemed to be a recurring nightmare that every GM that would be appointed would run across the civil service as a stumbling block," Garcia said.

Sometime in 2006, the MCIAA Board passed a resolution setting the qualifications of general manager which include, among others, experience in the aviation industry and experience in handling an organization of 200 to 300 employees.

In a series of dialogues with CSC, it was agreed that the position of general manager is considered highly technical and therefore would not require a CESO IV.

MCIAA General Manager Danilo Francia resigned last June 30. But he will stay in the position until November 17, 2010 upon the request of the previous Board for him to continue to serve until a replacement is found.

Prior to the entry of Francia, MCIA had only about 200 domestic flights but now it hits 401 domestic flights. There used to be only 40 to 50 international flights but now they have as high as 84. These numbers do not include the chartered flights reach between 70 to 84 flights month.

The MCIAA has also been recognized by the Institute of Good Governance from zero ranking to being the fourth best in governance GOCC out of more than 300 GOCCs. (FREEMAN)