BACOLOD City Mayor Monico Puentevella said Friday that he is thankful he was able to arrive home safely after the Cebu Pacific flight 5J 475 he boarded turned back to Manila due to technical trouble.

Puentevella was with Choong Suk Oh, counselor for Culture and Public Relations of the Korean Embassy and director of the Korean Culture Center in the Philippines, who was the guest of honor in the 1st Bacolod-Korea Friendship Festival held at the People's House Friday.

Also on board were Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and his wife Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez who had speaking engagements in Bacolod City and Silay City.

The plane left on schedule at 7:30 a.m. but after 30 minutes in the air, the pilot decided to go back to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport 3 to change planes.

"We have so many visitors, but we have our guardian angel when we experienced technical problem. It normally happens and when we were informed about it, we decided to go back. Better safe than sorry. I still have a mission to accomplish that's why we had our guardian angel."

They eventually arrived in Bacolod around 11:30 a.m., he said.

A written statement by Cebu Pacific furnished to Sun.Star Bacolod said the assigned aircraft has undergone routine checks and maintenance. A new aircraft was assigned to the flight and passengers arrived in Bacolod at 10:59 a.m., it added.