Chinese Influx Expected With The Chartered Flight In The Philippines

 Chinese to come in droves with new air routes to PHL

The Philippines stands to gain in the influx of more Chinese visitors with the first-ever direct charter flight from Xiamen (XMN), a coastal city in Fujian Province of China to Puerto Princesa City (PPS), Palawan starting next month.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) paved the way for the creation of the XMN-PPS route which will be launched by February 10 by C&D Travel Service China, a charter operator based in Xiamen, with Philippine Airlines (PAL) as the partner carrier.

“We continue to welcome more Chinese tourists to the country as part of the improved diplomatic relationship between Manila and Beijing since President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to China last year,” said DOT Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

Regular operations will ensue on February 14 and 18, which will accommodate more visitors from mainland China.

PAL will be utilizing an Airbus A320 with an estimated 160 dual class seat passenger capacity for the said charter flight.

“Just for starters, the new route will produce a total of 480 international air seats just for that period alone. This is on top of the other new routes that Chinese carriers have opened up direct to other tourist destinations in the Philippines last year,” said Benito Bengzon, Jr.,  DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Development.

Bengzon went on to say, “Another new route from China that our Route Development Team is working on is the Tiajin (TJN)-Puerto Princesa (PPS) also in time for the Chinese New Year. The development of new routes is in consonance with our National Tourism Development Plan’s strategy to improve air connectivity from major tourist source markets to the Philippines.”

To meet the growing demand of Chinese visitors to come to Boracay, Xiamen Airlines earlier this month mounted its direct air commercial services from Fuzhou (FOC), China to Kalibo, Aklan (KLO) using Airbus A321 with 197 seat passenger capacity on a three times weekly frequency.

The said new route was launched last January 12 by Xiamen Airlines with Uni-Orient Travel (PHL) as its major partner.

China, which is the second largest source market of the country following Korea, produced 968,447 tourist arrivals from January to December last year. It is a huge growth of 43.33% from the 2016 Chinese arrivals of 675,663.

DOT Route Development Team Head Erwin Balane added that the new FOC-KLO route will produce up to 591 international air seats bound for the Philippines per week or a total of 30,732 seats per year. (VerGarciaBlogs)

Bloggers Association of the Philippines: PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO SAVE BORACAY ISLAND.. A T...

Bloggers Association of the Philippines: PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO SAVE BORACAY ISLAND.. A T...: DOT, DENR Join Forces To ‘Save’ Boracay Island   DENR Secretary Cimatu (center) challenged all local tourism stakeholders, incl...

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT TO SAVE BORACAY ISLAND.. A TOURISTS DESTINATION

DOT, DENR Join Forces To ‘Save’ Boracay Island

 

DENR Secretary Cimatu (center) challenged all local tourism stakeholders, including hoteliers and travel operators, to actively participate in preserving the natural beauty of Boracay.

Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores (left) together with DOT Secretary Teo and DENR Secretary Cimatu addressing the pressing concerns of the island like offshore pollution and lack of proper sewerage system.

“We can only maintain Boracay’s picture perfect qualities if we can strictly enforce responsible tourism. It’s the only way we can support a sustainable and inclusive tourism program,” DOT Secretary Teo said.

Bird's eye view: Aerial inspection of Boracay Island giving the Cabinet members a better perspective of its overcrowding and over-development concerns.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) today embarked on a joint effort to save Boracay Island, Aklan Province from continuous destruction.

DOT Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo and DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu took off on an aerial survey of the world-renowned island, which is fast losing the balance between environmental conservation and tourism development.

The two Cabinet officials later presided over a multi-sectoral meeting, including the island’s tourism stakeholders, to address pressing concerns about on and offshore pollution, brought about by waste disposal.

“It’s a shame that Boracay, which has repeatedly been recognized by prestigious travel magazines as the World’s Most Beautiful Island, may yet end up a paradise lost if water contamination continues,” Teo said.

International visitors flock to Boracay for sun and beach holiday, water sports, scuba diving all year round totaling two million, contributing nearly P50 billion in annual receipts. It has also become a frequent luxury cruise ship destination.

The 10.32 square-kilometer island paradise is nestled between the Sulu Sea and the Sibuyan Sea, comprised by three barangays Yapak, Bulabog, and Manok-Manok belonging to the municipality of Malay, Aklan and with an aggregate population of 34,000.  

Teo blamed the lack of proper sewerage system, as well as a number of business establishments that tap and dispose their waste through the rainwater drainage system all the way to the sea.

Another major problem that prompted the on-site meeting is the alarming recurrence of flooding in most parts of the Boracay tourist hub, particularly the flash flooding that occurred during the typhoon Urduja last December 18.

Meanwhile, TIEZA (Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority), DOT’s infrastructure arm, will pour in Php 400 million more to the ongoing drainage project valued at Php716 million.  Phase II is aimed at alleviating heavy flooding in said area.

Cimatu disclosed he had called the attention of Malay Mayor Ciceron Cawaling regarding the worsening garbage problem.

Cawaling, along with Aklan Governor Florencio Miraflores, urged the Duterte administration to provide more funds.

“We appeal to both Secretaries to adopt Boracay,” Miraflores urged the Cabinet officials.

In reaction, Teo and Cimatu disclosed that an Executive Order drafted by an inter-agency committee will be submitted to President Duterte to address once and for all the serious problems besetting Boracay. The inter-agency committee will include other government agencies crucial to Boracay, primarily Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Teo said the list of over 100 establishment violators will be divulged soon while Cimatu vowed to conduct an individual inspection of their sewer facilities.

Other problems tackled during the meeting include the impact of overcrowding and overdevelopment where beachfront establishments have extended too close to the shore.

“We can only maintain Boracay’s picture perfect qualities if we can strictly enforce responsible tourism. It’s the only way we can support a sustainable and inclusive tourism program,” Teo added.

Cimatu challenged all local tourism stakeholders, including hoteliers and travel operators, to actively participate in preserving the natural beauty of Boracay. (VerGarciaBlogs)

TECHNOLOGY FIRMS WORKERS IN CALABARZON, PHILIPPINES GAGAWING REGULAR

Manggagawa ng Sci-Tech Firms sa CALABARZON, Gagawing Regular 

 By: Abegail De Vega

May 750 mangggagawa ng iba’t ibang technology firm sa CALABARZON ang gagawing regular matapos makitaan ang kanilang employer ng paglabag sa karapatan ng manggagawa para sa seguridad sa kanilang trabaho.

Sa magkahiwalay na compliance order na inisyu ng DOLE-Regional Office 4A, may tatlong technology company na naka-base sa Laguna– Cirtek Advanced Technologies Solutions Inc., Du Pont Far East Inc., at Fuji Electric Philippines Inc. ang inatasan na gawing regular ang 737 manggagawa matapos na mapatunayan na sila ay nagpapatupad ng labor-only contracting.

Nakita ang paglabag ng kompanya matapos ang sunod-sunod na inspeksiyon na isinagawa ng compliance officer noong nakaraang taon. Ilan sa mga paglabag ang kakulangan ng sapat na kapital sa bahagi ng contractor dahil ang mga kagamitan at kasangkapan ng principal ang ginagamit ng empleyado sa trabahong ikinontrata sa kanila.

Ang principal din ang nangangasiwa at namamahala sa pagtupad ng gawain ng mga dineploy na manggagawa, at kasamang nagtatrabaho ng mga regular na empleyado ng principal at ginagampanan din ang parehong tungkulin na may direktang kaugnayan sa pangunahing negosyo ng principal.

Kabilang sa mga natuklasan ang hindi pagsunod sa Occupational Safety and Health Standards dahil walang balidong lisensiya ang tatlong principal na magpatakbo ng mechanical at electrical equipment.

Wala ding balidong fire safety inspection certificates ang Cirtek Advanced Technologies Solutions Inc. at Fuji Electric Philippines Inc.

Ang Cirtek Advanced Technologies and Solutions Inc. ay isang manufacturing solutions partner para sa telecommunications, satellite communications, at semiconductor test boards samantalang ang Du Pont Far East Inc. ay isang science-driven innovation firm na nagre-repake ng fungicides, herbicides, at insecticides.

Ang Fuji Electric Philippines Inc. ay isang Japanese electronic firm na gumagawa ng power semiconductors at iba pang mahahalagang electronic devices na ginagamit sa industrial equipment, automobiles, information equipment, at new energy.

Inatasan din ng DOLE ang Viewers Mobile Inc., isang mobile provider na naka-base sa Lucena City, Quezon, na bayaran ang benepisyo ng kanilang manggagawa matapos na makitaan na hindi nila ibinibigay sa kanilang mga manggagawa ang benepisyong itinakda ng batas sa ilalim ng general labor standards batay sa pagtatasa ng LLCO. (VerGarciaBlogs)