Saturday, December 02, 2006 Indon airline launches Davao-Manado flight
CLOSE on the heels of the successful trade mission of Southern Mindanao's Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Sarangani Cooperation Triangle (Jags-CT) to Indonesia last September, a new Indonesian airline company started serving the Davao-Manado route Saturday.
The move is aimed at boosting trade ties between the Philippines and Indonesia, which are both under the development thrust of the East Asean Growth Area (Eaga).
The Jakarta-based Sriwijaya Air uses Boeing 737-200 to provide an alternate service for the Davao-Manado route, which is currently being served by Merpati Airlines.
The airline launched its maiden flight to Davao Thursday and was welcomed with a ceremonial program by local officials and tourism players here.
For its regular run, Sriwijaya is scheduled to fly every Monday and Thursday, arriving in Davao City at 10 a.m. and leaving for Manado at 10:45 a.m.
The airline can accommodate 124 passengers and can carry cargo up to 3.5 tons in weight.
"The new additional flight directly connecting Davao and Manado is an affirmation of growing vibrancy on the potentials for tourism, trade and investment within the Bimp-Eaga," said Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, chair of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco).
Leyretana said that the new Davao-Manado air link is a welcome addition to the existing air and sea linkages from Mindanao to Indonesia.
Mindanao is currently connected to Indonesia through the Davao-Manado flight by Merpati Airlines and the direct shipping services of M/L Aljamar covering Glan (Sarangani)-Tahuna-Bitung (Indonesia) sea route, which started in October.
"Sriwijaya's Davao-Manado flight is expected to contribute to our aim of enhancing trade and socio-cultural links. I hope this air route will be sustained, as it will certainly boost Mindanao's ties with Indonesia," Leyretana added.
In October this year, a five-day trade mission was initiated by the Jags-CT (Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Sarangani Cooperation Triangle) local government and private sector players to explore possible areas of partnership with their Indonesian counterparts.
Headed by Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez and Philippine Special Envoy for Bimp-Eaga Efren Abu, the trade mission was able to secure a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Municipality of Glan and the City of Bitung in Indonesia, which established sister-city cooperation in the areas of education, socio-culture, tourism, fisheries, marine resource, as well as trade and commerce.
"Things are looking up between Mindanao and Indonesia and we really have to support these initiatives," Leyretana stressed.
A four-country meeting of Bimp-Eaga leaders has been slated next week in Cebu, ahead of the Asean Summit, to discuss progress of the sub-region's development roadmap and projects.
