THE City Government of Borongan in Eastern Samar and executives of the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), have celebrated its second year of partnership, which contributed to “boosting the city’s tourism industry and local economy.”
“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,” said Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda.
In a statement, the mayor said that PAL’s presence in the city “gave hope to its citizens and boosted their pride and morale.”
“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,” said Agda, while thanking PAL “for sticking to its resolve to invest in Borongan despite the operations’ shaky beginnings.”
City Information Officer and Flight Operations Chair Rupert Ambil 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
“Of this number, 85 to 90 percent were of the BPA-CEB-MNL route and vice versa,” said Ambil, citing how the growing number of passengers “significantly outshines other domestic airports in the country during the first few years of their flight operations.”
Borongan City Vice Mayor Emman Tiu Sonco added that PAL flights have brought “a great deal of convenience to Borongan travelers.”
In recognition of PAL’s successful first year of flight operations in Borongan, the city and PAL officials expressed commitment “to enhancing every Boronganon’s flying experience” during a photo opportunity held at the mayor’s conference room on January 12, 2024.
Meanwhile, PAL executives announced their plan to introduce an extra Wednesday flight on the Borongan route from July to October, following the mayor’s request “for increased flights on top of the regular Monday and Friday schedule.”
“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,” the city government said.
The Borongan City Airport had its inaugural flight in December 2022 and has since catered to the transport needs of both tourists and residents in Eastern Samar. (SunStar Philippines)