In celebration of its continued partnership with Philippine Airlines (PAL), the City Government of Borongan held a ceremonial photo opportunity with executives of the country’s flag carrier and other stakeholders at the Mayor’s Conference Room last Friday, Jan. 12.
Held in recognition of PAL’s successful first year of flight operations in the city, the event similarly signifies all parties’ commitment to enhancing every Boronganon’s flying experience.
In a brief presentation made by City Information Officer and Flight Operations Chair Rupert Ambil, it was reported that the local government unit sold a total of 7,439 out of 11,399 seats within the first year of PAL’s operations in the city—marking an accumulated passenger movement that significantly outshines other domestic airports in the country during the first few years of their flight ops. Of this number, 85-90% were of the BPA-CEB-MNL route and vice versa.
In his opening remarks, Borongan City Vice Mayor Emman Tiu Sonco said that the flights not only bring a great deal of convenience to Borongan travelers, but also contribute to boosting the city’s tourism industry and local economy.
“Ang laki ho ng pagbabagong naitulong dito sa Borongan, hindi lang sa Borongan kundi sa buong province. Unang-una, sa tourism. So far sa records natin, umangat talaga ang [bilang] ng mga turista na nagpupunta dito sa atin. Lalong-lalo na ho yung mga balik-bayan, ang dami nang umuuwi. Minsan nga may mga nagwi-weekend lang dito, tapos babalik nanaman pagka-Monday kung saan sila nagwowork, so ang galing.”
“In economic terms, ang laki ng naitulong. Ang dami nang tao. So ayan, nagbubukas na paisa-isa yung mga [fast food] chain, ang alam ko nga is yung KFC naghahanap na rin ng lugar, hopefully magpatuloy ‘yan this year. Yung initial goal natin was to put Borongan on the map. Right now, nakikita na natin, slowly, we’re getting there. Ngayon alam na ng buong mundo na may Borongan.”
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda echoed the same sentiments in his message, adding that PAL’s presence in the city gave hope to its citizens and boosted their pride and morale. He also said that the existence and eventual increase in the number of flights bodes well for the city’s food exportation potential and its projected impact on the city’s economic landscape.
“Philippine Airlines gave hope to our people in Eastern Samar. We were able to put our city on the map for the world to see, and of course, it has boosted our pride and morale.”
“Hindi lang po accessibility or pride ang goal natin dito. Yung gain. It’s about our food production. This is for us to encourage our people, our farmers, our constituents to engage in agri-entrepreneurial business. Kanina, we spoke to sir Dan, ang sabi niya, talagang malaki ang market pagdating sa aquatic, marine life export ng Borongan. Kasi ang after natin dito is yung cargo, and I would like to take this opportunity to announce that Philippine Airlines is now accepting cargo to bring our goods to Cebu and Manila. Cebu is a big market. Malaki ang market ng Cebu for marine life, of which our city is very abundant, lalo na yung mga crustaceans. So we hope na we can work together in promoting our city’s Dukwag Agrikultura program so that we can encourage our fisherfolk to engage in this endeavor.”
Agda ended his speech by expressing his utmost gratitude to PAL for sticking to its resolve to invest in Borongan despite the operations’ shaky beginnings.
The event concluded with an announcement that sent the room in a gleeful buzz: PAL executives plan to introduce an extra Wednesday flight on the Borongan route from July to October, aligning with Mayor Agda’s request for increased flights on top of the regular Monday and Friday schedule. This decision anticipates a surge in passenger demand during this period, coinciding with a nationwide trend.
Borongan has a unique flight operations model that no other local government unit in the country utilizes. Sustained by a small ticketing office that had zero experience with the dealings of airlines prior to its opening, Borongan proves to be a trailblazer in the field of innovation.
Adding to the series of firsts that the City Government has successfully initiated is the fact that Borongan is the only LGU in the country to mount its departure terminal out of its own funds. After finishing the entire planning and construction process in just three months, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines expressed a desire to replicate the city’s modular construction design and has started applying the same to other airports across the country.
The Borongan City Airport launched its inaugural flight in December 2022 and has since catered to the transport needs of both tourists and Eastern Samar natives. With the extension of the city government’s partnership with PAL, Borongan flyers are in for an improved aviation experience.
#FunBorongan
#BoronganonDisiplinadoAko
