Mayor eyes consular office in Iloilo

MAYOR Jed Patrick Mabilog has started laying down the groundwork for the establishment of a consular office in Iloilo to serve the needs of passengers using the Iloilo airport direct flights to other countries.

Mabilog said he started representations and initial talks with the Department of Foreign Affairs and other offices to consider putting up a consular office in Iloilo in preparation for the scheduled Cebu Pacific Air direct international flights to Hong Kong on November 8 and Singapore on November 9.

He said it is very costly and cumbersome for the Ilonggo commuters to Hong Kong and Singapore to get their exit visa in Manila while their direct flight is from the Iloilo airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo.

The travelers will have to take the international flights at the Manila airport after getting their visa there, as a most logical way of travel instead of going back to Iloilo in flying to Hong Kong or Singapore, Mabilog said.

He said aside from Cebu Pacific Air, which will start direct flights to Hong Kong and Singapore by November this year, other interested airlines eyeing to include the Iloilo airport in its flight schedules are Tiger Airways and Dragon Air, formerly known as Cathay Pacific Airways.

Earlier, Singapore Airways and SilkAir expressed interest to include the Iloilo airport of international standards to its international flight destinations.

Meanwhile, Regional Director Helen Catalbas of the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the Department of Transportation and Communications has already ordered the suspension of overtime payment to customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) personnel who will be assisting in the Iloilo airport direct flights to Hong Kong and Singapore in November.

The Iloilo direct international flight is supported by DOT, Civil Aeronautics and Aviation Board, Land Transportation Office, CIQ and the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zone Authority.

The Cebu Pacific airbus 320 flight schedule is every Thursday and Sunday for Iloilo-Hong Kong flight at 11:10 p.m. to 1:35 a.m. and Hong Kong-Iloilo flight on Monday and Friday at 2:20 a.m. to 4:45 a.m.

The Iloilo-Singapore flight is every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:25 p.m. to 1:55 a.m., and Singapore-Iloilo flight on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2:40 a.m. to 6:10 a.m. (LCP)