MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito on Thursday sought funding for bird dispersal technologies to safeguard commercial flights.
The senator said persistent bird strikes in some major domestic gateways require urgent proactive aviation safety measures.
He expressed concern over the revelation of aviation officials that the country recorded more than 900 bird strike occurrences in 2025 alone.
“Wow, 900. So almost every day. That's really, of course, is a cause of concern for our aviation industry,” Ejercito said during a public hearing conducted by the Committee on Public Services.
Most of these incidents took place at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Davao International Airport due to high flight volumes.
Ejercito questioned the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) regarding their current wildlife hazard management equipment.
Aviation officials said that they currently rely on "manual dispersal methods" like lasers, flags, gas cannons, and firecrackers.
Ejercito, chairman of the Committee on Finance, has committed to securing modern, specialized acoustic or sonic bird deterrent systems for "vulnerable airports."
“Please let us know as soon as possible, please include that already in your request for your budget this year,” he said.
He urged CAAP and the Department of Transportation to submit a "cost estimate" for the specialized bird disperal devices so he can support this funding in the upcoming 2027 budget defense.