High-level officials from the Philippines and France recently concluded a series of high-level bilateral discussions focused on enhancing transport safety and aligning investigation standards with global best practices.
The Philippine delegation was led by Hon. Franz S. Pumaren, Chairman of the Committee on Transportation at the House of Representatives, and comprised key leaders from the House of Representatives, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
The primary objective of the mission was to conduct a comprehensive benchmarking engagement with French transport authorities and industry stakeholders.
This effort directly supports current Philippine initiatives to establish an independent, multimodal transportation accident investigation body, modeled after international standards like the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
During the multi-day engagement, the delegation met with leadership from France’s premier accident investigation agencies and civil aviation bodies:
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Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile (BEA): Discussions focused on the French aviation investigation process, organizational architecture, and full alignment with ICAO Annex 13 Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
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BEA-TT & BEA-RI: The delegation explored land, rail, and maritime transport safety frameworks with the Directors of the Bureau d’Enquêtes sur les Accidents de Transport Terrestre (BEA-TT) and the Bureau d’Enquêtes sur les Événements de Mer (BEA-RI).
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Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC): Representatives highlighted ongoing technical cooperation between DGAC and CAAP to support aviation safety oversight.
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Industry Collaboration: Global aerospace leader Airbus presented its technical role as an industry advisor to the BEA during official safety investigations.
The fruitful exchange underscores a shared commitment between the two nations to advance safety protocols across air, land, and sea transportation through international cooperation.
