Philippine Air Traffic Controllers face Huge Issues

This is a comment posted on one of my blog entries. It is very relevant to Philippine Aviation, so I reposted it. The original comment can be found here ..

i've heard CAAP needs more ATCs to be distributed in the different atc facilities nationwide. the agency announced this early in 2007. many young professionals grabbed this oppurtunity and applied for the job. they underwent training for many months with their own expense, no allowance or anything, even a refund if you get hired. being in the training does not guarantee that you will be eventually get hired.if you fail the training at the very last month, say goodbye to your dreams. that's what i saw from some friends experience. they gave up their job because of a promising career in the government. but what? until now, all of them were not hired. what does CAAP stands for? Cira Ang Ating mga Pangarap!!! yes, that's true. CAAP, under its training branc, the Civil Aviation Training Center (CATC) located at merville access road, in Pasay city, conducted trainings by batches. when CAAP anounced the need of ATC just when the FAA degraded the safety status of our aviation in the countyr, there were 22 trainees to become air traffic controllers and 21 trainees to become airways communicators. after 6 months of training, 20 new airways communicators graduated and were officially hired sepetmeber last year. a month later, 10 new air traffic controllers graduated, completed their license by august 2008, infromed by ATC officilas to be hired by october 2008, just wait for the call. when they followed up the status of thei appointment were told, before december 2008, just wait. and when january 2009 came, they were told to find jobs temporarily because of pending appointmnet due to chaos in the agency. issues on salary adjustments between technical positions in the agency are not yet settled up to now. they were told to wait by March 2009. but up to now, these poor young professionals are still jobless, not hired by the agency who is full of promising future for them. reason, according to officlas of CAAP, appointmnat is still pending at the civil service commission because the CSC is waiting for the organizational structure of CAAP. furthermore, ATC chief is requesting the personnel department of CAAP that this 10 ATCs be hired as temporary ATC but they wont approve because there is no BUDGET!!!!!!! for two years of sacrifice, where are their dreams? CAAP --- Cira ang ATing mga Pangarap?those twenty AIrways communicators, why was their appointment not as difficult to have as for these ATCs? beacuse most of them were "anak ng diyos ng CAAP"?
moreover, early in 2008, there is another training for anew batch of atcs, there were more than 60 trainees then, but only 33 succeed. thus, adding to the 10 unhired ATCs. there are 43 of them still waiting and still waiting, and praying that they will be hired before the election ban! 

early this year, a new batch of trainees is undergoing the Cumulative Air Traffic Service course at the civil Aviation Training Center. They should be able to complete the training, have their license to become air traffic controllers. Thus, adding to the 43 pitiful individuals who are still waiting to reap the laurels of their sacrifices.

please, to government officials who can read this, for every Filipino out there, this our call. help these young and poor AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS to air their voices nad be heard! let Madam President listen to them and lokk athe situation of the agency who protects the lives of many Filipinos and even foreigners visiting our country. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, they do protect lives and properties more than a soldier can more than a surgeon, more than anybody else every minute, every second that they were in CONTROL!!!!!!