Manila: The Philippines and four other neighboring Southeast Asian nations have signed a data-sharing agreement to enhance aviation safety, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Thursday. The agreement was signed among aviation leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand on Oct. 17 during the 59th Directors General of Civil Aviation Conference in Cebu. 'The cross-border nature of aviation demands that we work together. Through this agreement, we will collectively identify emerging trends and hazards, allowing the continuous development of proactive measures that advance safety goals across the Asia Pacific," CAAP Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo said in a statement. Data will initially focus on safety categories such as severe turbulence and dangerous goods incidents, CAAP said. "This initiative aims to enhance CAAP's safety management activities by leveraging de-identified safety data to identify emerging hazards, track trends, and implement measures that support the goals of the Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan and improve risk management," it said. Source: Philippines News agency