The Operations Rescue Coordination Center (ORCC) operating under the Air Traffic Service (ATS), distributes information needed to ensure the safety, regularity and efficiency of air navigation by functioning as the International NOTAM Office of the Philippines that promulgates NOTAM (Notice to Airmen).
NOTAM is a notice distributed by means of telecommunication containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations. The text of each NOTAM contains the information in the order shown in the ICAO NOTAM format and is composed of the significant or uniform abbreviated phraseology assigned to the ICAO NOTAM code complemented by ICAO standard abbreviations, indicators, identifiers, designators, call signs, frequencies, figures and plain language. NOTAM are originated and issued for Manila FIR and are distributed in two series identified by the letters B and C.
Series B Information of concern to adjacent NOFs.
Series C Information of concern to national or domestic aerodromes only.
NOTAM is published as and when necessary to disseminate information of direct operational significance which;
a.) is of an ephemeral nature;
b.) requires advance distribution; or
c.) is appropriate to the AIP but needs immediate dissemination.
Each NOTAM is assigned a four digit serial number preceded by an appropriate letter indicating the series and followed by a stroke and two digits indicating the year of issuance. The serial numbers starts with 0001 at 0000 UTC on January every year. A checklist of NOTAM currently in force is issued every month via AFTN. Additionally, a printed plain language summary of NOTAM in force is sent by airmail to those who had originally received the NOTAM over the Aeronautical Information SAFS, as well as to others on request.