Braga to DOTC: Prioritize Radar Allocation For Davao Air Transportation Office

Councilor Pilar Braga has passed a resolution today urging Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza to prioritize the Braga to prioritize the allocation of a radar for the Davao City International Airport.

Braga's resolution came in the aftermath of the ill-fated C-130 Hercules aircraft that crashed near Samal Island last August 25. Retrieval operation for the C-130 has been hampered by the lack of radar equipment to track down the aircraft. Davao City's Air Transportation Office control tower does not have a radar to track down aircrafts flying in and out of the Davao International Airport and relies only on radio communication to control air traffic.

Chief Colonel Isagani Silva of the Philippine Air Force Tactical Operations Group earlier admitted the importance of a radar to pinpoint the location where the helicopter crashed. Reports also show that even the Philippine Air Force Tactical Operations Group in the region does not have this equipment.


Even the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard lacks the necessary sonar equipment to determine the location of the helicopter somewhere in the Davao Gulf. Braga said the Philippine Navy makes use of fathometers instead of sonars.