By VINCE G. LOPEZ
August 21, 2010, 3:49pm
Manila Bulletin
More friends mean more fun especially with the kind of rewards that await groups of friends booking their latest getaway. (Photo by VINCE G. LOPEZ)
There are infinite reasons why people love packing their bags to get away.
Some people travel to discover God’s marvelous creations. Some choose to spend quality time with a loved one in a faraway place. Some just want to be alone and escape from the reality that surrounds them. While some travel to flood their Facebook account with incredible photos to make other people feel bad that they are still at their office tables with a pile of files.
Deny it or not, there is an unspoken pressure to travel; and it is probably the best pressure there ever is.
The onslaught of promo fares, lean season rates, incredible travel packages, and yes, Facebook photos, are just some reasons why the fad of traveling never dies. It is no longer just a luxury, it has become a need.
But perhaps there is something more than just sceneries that make travel photos exciting. It must be the fun factor in every shot. The project-your-best-angle photos, the perpetual “barkada jump shot” and just the mere group hug pics amidst a glorious backdrop make the viewer want to go there and experience it firsthand.
There is magic in group travel and there are a lot of reasons why it is beneficial to do so. Here is a short rundown of reasons why you should convince your friends to come with you on your next trip:
1. Someone would take your picture
You did not shop for new clothes and lost a lot of weight just for it to be remembered by someone’s eyes. Pictures have to capture those hard-earned moments. You may always ask a complete stranger to click the shutter but wouldn’t it be nice if someone you are always with could document the joys of your travel? Couples usually end up with a stretch-your-arms-we-gotta-fit-into-the-screen shot, but if you are traveling with a group, you can even get great photos for your future wedding AVP.
2. Safety
It is always safer to travel with a group because harmful people would be wary of endangering you or fooling you into paying unnecessary fees. For them, there is always the threat of a scandalous traveler and being with a group heightens the possibility that one of them loves to complain. Also, if something bad happens, a lot could participate in the bayanihan rescue.
3. Sure companions
Some like to sit in a bar or wander alone on the beach, hoping that they would bump into the man/woman of their dreams. Yes, you can still have those telenovela scenes but it may also result to hours of lonely moments. So instead of worrying who to be with on your next trip, bring them along so you can have a group of buddies to set the dance floor on fire and fool around with your That’s Entertainment moves.
4. Cost-sharing
The best thing to share in life after all, is the cost. And this is the primary reason why group travel is such a great thing. It is an undeniable reality for some travelers that trips are still quite out of the usually planned finances. Though Boracay has transformed from being an immaculate hard-to-reach paradise to becoming Manila’s beach, there is still the budget to consider when traveling.
However, if you are traveling with a group, you can share the cost in the following:
a. Room Accommodation
Consider it an out-of-town slumber party and share the room. Triple and quadruple occupancy breaks the cost among its lodgers to around half the original price.
b. Tour Vehicle
No matter how jam-packed or comfortable you are, the car/van/boat would still run on the same amount of gas and you would still pay the same driver’s fee. This is why it is best to share the cost of the total amount. For example, to hire a multi-cab to go around the island of Camiguin costs P1,500.00. If it is just the two of you, you would be paying P750.00 each. But if you belong to a group of eight excited travelers in the vehicle, you just have to pay P187.50 each.
c. Airfare
Philippine Airlines (PAL), together with Mastercard recently launched a promo dedicated for—as it acronym spells it—pals. Aside from getting your miles, booking via a Mastercard automatically earns raffle entries for a lot more miles. A buy-two-take-one promo for Mabuhay Class or buy three-take-one for Fiesta Class promo allows groups to save on airfare, giving the last guy the same seat class as the three others. The promo runs from August-October 2010 for domestic travel (travel dates: August-November 2010) and for the whole month of August for international travel (travel dates: September 16-November 30, 2010). You can check their websites www.philippineairlines.com or www.mabuhaymiles.com for details.
d. Group Meals
Solo value meals usually cover the usual dishes such as fried chicken or barbeque. But if you are ordering as a group, then you can eat together a la familia with different entrees of your choice.
5. Fun Factor
The best thing about traveling in groups is that there are a lot of fun factors involved. The videoke challenge, the repeated stories of experiences that you still get a kick out of no matter how many times these are told, and the sheer enjoyment of being with great pals are just some reasons why traveling in groups are beneficial.
Through this, traveling is not just about discovering different places but also about creating experiences which you can always smile when you reminisce. More than sharing the cost, you share priceless moments. It certainly makes the place, not just beautiful, but utterly memorable.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
‘Open skies’ not yet policy, says Palace
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:37:00 08/21/2010
MANILA, Philippines—An “open skies” policy that frees up the country’s air routes to foreign carriers has yet to be adopted by the Aquino administration, a presidential spokesperson told reporters yesterday.
Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications and Strategic Development Office said the matter is still up for discussion and further study by the economic cluster of the Cabinet.
This developed as Philippine Airlines (PAL), taking exception to an Inquirer story yesterday, clarified that it said nothing about “warning” the government about open skies.
“In fact, PAL’s message was that it will heed the President’s call to expedite the resolution of its labor problem,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said in a press statement yesterday. He said the story was “attributing to PAL something it did not say.”
In its press statement on Thursday, PAL said it welcomed President Aquino’s decision to consider opening the country’s skies to foreign carriers as one of the government’s options should the flag carrier and its workers fail to resolve their differences.
‘Wake-up call’
Bautista was quoted by the statement as saying the President’s pronouncement is a “wake-up call” for both PAL management and its flight attendants to immediately resolve their labor dispute.
The union of flight attendants had pulled out of conciliation under the Department of Labor and threatened to go on strike over management’s plan to spin off some employees.
“More than anyone else, PAL wants to put closure to its CBA with its cabin crew. But like any negotiated CBA, it must take into consideration not only the union’s demands but also the airline’s capacity to pay and meet those demands. It’s give and take,” Bautista said.
Carandang said that while it is not yet policy, open skies “has been discussed as a possible long-term solution to the problems of aviation.”
Complex problem
“It’s a very complex problem, which involves upgrading our procedures and security standards and all of that. Open skies is just one part,” he said.
“This administration has not yet decided to implement open skies,” he added.
The secretary was reacting to a statement of PAL that the government should first address the basic issue of inadequate aviation infrastructure before freeing up the industry to foreign players.
Carandang said it was agreed in a recent meeting of the Cabinet economic cluster that departments like those on tourism and on transportation study the open skies policy carefully before coming up with a recommendation to the President.
President Aquino on Wednesday raised the possibility of open skies if PAL continued to have problems with its labor force and cause problems in air travel in the country.
“Let’s make it clear. PAL is not against open skies. We just want it to be fair, reciprocal and its implementation should be phased-in and calibrated,” PAL president and chief operating officer Bautista had said in a statement.
He said the proposal for open skies should be studied carefully.
Bautista told of problems such as Manila’s congested runways and overburdened terminals that could worsen when the country’s air industry is liberalized.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:37:00 08/21/2010
MANILA, Philippines—An “open skies” policy that frees up the country’s air routes to foreign carriers has yet to be adopted by the Aquino administration, a presidential spokesperson told reporters yesterday.
Secretary Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications and Strategic Development Office said the matter is still up for discussion and further study by the economic cluster of the Cabinet.
This developed as Philippine Airlines (PAL), taking exception to an Inquirer story yesterday, clarified that it said nothing about “warning” the government about open skies.
“In fact, PAL’s message was that it will heed the President’s call to expedite the resolution of its labor problem,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said in a press statement yesterday. He said the story was “attributing to PAL something it did not say.”
In its press statement on Thursday, PAL said it welcomed President Aquino’s decision to consider opening the country’s skies to foreign carriers as one of the government’s options should the flag carrier and its workers fail to resolve their differences.
‘Wake-up call’
Bautista was quoted by the statement as saying the President’s pronouncement is a “wake-up call” for both PAL management and its flight attendants to immediately resolve their labor dispute.
The union of flight attendants had pulled out of conciliation under the Department of Labor and threatened to go on strike over management’s plan to spin off some employees.
“More than anyone else, PAL wants to put closure to its CBA with its cabin crew. But like any negotiated CBA, it must take into consideration not only the union’s demands but also the airline’s capacity to pay and meet those demands. It’s give and take,” Bautista said.
Carandang said that while it is not yet policy, open skies “has been discussed as a possible long-term solution to the problems of aviation.”
Complex problem
“It’s a very complex problem, which involves upgrading our procedures and security standards and all of that. Open skies is just one part,” he said.
“This administration has not yet decided to implement open skies,” he added.
The secretary was reacting to a statement of PAL that the government should first address the basic issue of inadequate aviation infrastructure before freeing up the industry to foreign players.
Carandang said it was agreed in a recent meeting of the Cabinet economic cluster that departments like those on tourism and on transportation study the open skies policy carefully before coming up with a recommendation to the President.
President Aquino on Wednesday raised the possibility of open skies if PAL continued to have problems with its labor force and cause problems in air travel in the country.
“Let’s make it clear. PAL is not against open skies. We just want it to be fair, reciprocal and its implementation should be phased-in and calibrated,” PAL president and chief operating officer Bautista had said in a statement.
He said the proposal for open skies should be studied carefully.
Bautista told of problems such as Manila’s congested runways and overburdened terminals that could worsen when the country’s air industry is liberalized.
Friday, August 20, 2010
To The Point
Emil Jurado
August 20, 2010 ManilaStandardToday
It’s about time for open skies
President Benigno Aquino III, reacting to reports of misuse of public funds by officials of government-owned and -controlled corporations and other state agencies, said that an executive order was now being prepared to put a cap on salaries, allowances, representation expenses and intelligence funds of these corporations, especially those losing money.
Nobody can quarrel with that. Indeed there have been abuses. Santa Banana, there were reports that a president of a government financial institution amassed P200 million while in office. He should be made to return the money in excess of what he was due!
Actually, former President Gloria Arroyo already issued an executive order limiting GOCC officials’ salaries and other perks, especially bonuses and intelligence funds (intelligence funds for what?). This order, unfortunately, was not strictly enforced.
The ball now is in President Aquino’s court. Granting that such an order is forthcoming, who would now want to join the government? It will not be able to compete with the private sector in terms of compensation.
Unless, of course, one joins government with the intention of stealing taxpayers’ money.
* * *
In the wake of the collapse of negotiations between Philippine Airlines management and the group of flight attendants and pilots, Malacañang has threatened to adopt the long-neglected policy which would open Philippine skies to the unlimited entry of foreign airlines.
The airline has been beset with problems: it continues to lose its shirt year in and year out and Lucio Tan’s labor woes have been worsening. Under these circumstances, PAL will likely go belly up.
From his deafening silence, Tan makes us think he may finally be ready to collapse the airline. After all, he still has AirPhil, the budget airline servicing regional routes. AirPhil is making money.
I think President Aquino should go ahead and opt for Open Skies. He should not just threaten to do so. We saw the need for this when PAL canceled numerous flights—and affected business and tourism.
For many years, a single interest—the powerful Tan’s—has held Presidents hostage. The argument against open skies has always been that if PAL could not get reciprocal rights to land on other countries intending to send flight to the Philippines, no way should Philippine skies get opened to foreign airlines.
It’s a protectionist attitude which has no place in a global community. In a world without borders, business is the survival of the fittest. Sure, many foreign airlines are subsidized (as was PAL when government still controlled it). But the airline business has become more competitive than ever.
I say it’s about time President Aquino show political will and do what is best for the national interest.
* * *
The President did what had to be done by reading the Riot Act to two-star Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue. This came from the Commander-in-Chief after Angue complained before media about his re-assignment to Zamboanga, which he claimed to be a “demotion” from his former post in the National Capital Region. Indeed, Angue should have simply kept his mouth shut and followed his superiors’ order.
Since there’s a process in the military for airing grievances, Angue violated something very basic in the military—the chain-of-command. And the President had to do something because if such protests afflict the military, others who do not get what they want may also resort to the same actions.
It is true that politics sometimes gets in the way of promotions. But Angue should have been aware of this from the start. It’s a good thing President Aquino told Angue to shut up. But he must also look into the system of promotions because problems here can cause demoralization in the military.
* * *
Insiders at Customs rate the performance of Commissioner Joselito Alvarez as “so far, so good.”
Well, considering the numbers that the national government expects the agency to produce, “good” will simply not cut it. To meet and overshoot his targets, Alvarez has to come up with the measures to drastically curb smuggling, and exercise political will to flush out all the rats that infest the pier zones. These elements take away from government billions of pesos in revenues.
Fortunately for Alvarez, the golf scorecard cheating issue that had initially hounded him has been relegated at the sidelines. What still hovers above him, however, is the link to former Customs Chief Guillermo Parayno, now Finance undersecretary, and Bert Lina, who reportedly still have tremendous clout over Customs operations.
Prior to his appointment to the Bureau of Customs, Alvarez was a director of several companies owned by Lina. On the other hand, Parayno was president of yet another Lina company that is a subcontractor of a firm that deals with the BoC’s Management Information Systems and Technology Group headed by a known Parayno protege, Deputy Commissioner Alexander “Balong” Arevalo.
Observers say that Alvarez could put this issue to rest if he digs deep into the operations of the MISTG which, according to those in the know, are mired in secrets stored in computer technology. Only Arevalo knows these secrets and he supposedly chooses not to share these with anyone, not even with his former boss, Napoleon “Boy” Morales. My gulay, that was one instance of an Alexander standing his ground to a Napoleon!
This time, can Alvarez get out of Arevalo every bit of information pertaining to the agency’s import transactions? If he takes it further and bears down on Arevalo, he would in effect be finally cutting off the umbilical cord that ties him to the influential gentleman. And Santa Banana, that could be a final giant step towards genuine reform at the BoC, and one that could be termed not merely “good,” but “truly praiseworthy”!
* * *
GMA network has seemingly found its golden touch anew as it has successfully regained the momentum in the ratings game versus its closest rival ABS-CBN for the month of July.
Mega Manila continues to deliver solid numbers for GMA-7. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement’s Mega Manila data for July show GMA posting a 5.6-percentage point advantage over ABS-CBN in audience shares, 37.5 percent versus 31.9 percent. Among households, GMA-7 still leads ABS-CBN, 35.3 percent versus 32.8 percent.
GMA-7’s strong ratings performance in July is also visible in Urban Luzon, which makes up 77 percent of television households nationwide. Here, GMA-7 led ABS-CBN by 0.4 percent in people audience shares with 35.8 as against the latter’s 35.4 percent. It is important to note that GMA-7’s margin resulted from a noticeable decline in ABS-CBN’s share performance in the said area, where it led GMA-7 by 5.4 percentage points last June.
And though ABS-CBN is still ahead in national ratings, GMA-7 is undeniably catching up, July people ratings show GMA-7 trailing ABS-CBN by just 1.5 percentage points, 6.0 percent versus 7.5 percent.
At the rate things are going, GMA-7 is in a very good position to further eat up on ABS-CBN’s lead in national ratings, especially with its newly launched shows “Ilumina,” “Kaya ng Powers,” and “Love ni Mister, Love ni Misis.” Add to that the highly-anticipated third season of the top-rating reality show “Survivor Philippines.” GMA’s news programs and specials meanwhile remain as viewers’ most preferred source of information.
Note that Nielsen TV Audience Measurement used by GMA-7 is also used by at least 22 other companies including TV Channel—not ABS-CBN. On the other hand, only a handful, including ABS-CBN, is said to subscribe to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS Philippines.
* * *
It’s no exaggeration when I say that torture seems to be a police culture. In my over half a century as a journalist, having covered all beats from the police, jails, city halls, courts and on to the Department of Justice, Finance, Bureau of Customs, Immigration, the Armed Forces, the Central Bank and every economic beat, I know whereof I speak. I have seen policemen beat up suspects, especially the hardened criminals involved in rape, drugs, murder, and syndicated crimes like carnapping and kidnapping for ransom.
The idea is to make the suspects admit their crimes without giving them the benefit of the doubt. When I saw that ABS-CBN video, I was more than shocked at how cruel some people can get to others. It’s a perfect example of man’s inhumanity to fellow man.
Torture by police in the Philippines is not uncommon. It also happens in other countries. Even members of the police forces in the US, the FBI and the CIA resort to it to get confessions and results.
We may minimize them in the Philippines by a vigilant media, but how about places where media is not as present and vigilant?
* * *
Filipinos have garnered so many awards and recognition abroad. But one recognition that has not been publicized is that of former Laguna Rep. Totoy Tingzon, regarded as the “Godfather” of Youth Basketball in the Philippines”. He helped establish the Little League organization in the early 1960s while concurrent head of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Associations and the Manila Bay Baseball League, and went on to introduce PONY International in Asia under the Philippine Tot Basketball Association.
When the 35th PONY in Asia was marked in July in Tokyo, Tingzon was supposed to have attended it as an awardee, being a co-founder of PONY Asia and a PONY Hall of Famer. Tingzon, however, could not make it because of prior commitments.
August 20, 2010 ManilaStandardToday
It’s about time for open skies
President Benigno Aquino III, reacting to reports of misuse of public funds by officials of government-owned and -controlled corporations and other state agencies, said that an executive order was now being prepared to put a cap on salaries, allowances, representation expenses and intelligence funds of these corporations, especially those losing money.
Nobody can quarrel with that. Indeed there have been abuses. Santa Banana, there were reports that a president of a government financial institution amassed P200 million while in office. He should be made to return the money in excess of what he was due!
Actually, former President Gloria Arroyo already issued an executive order limiting GOCC officials’ salaries and other perks, especially bonuses and intelligence funds (intelligence funds for what?). This order, unfortunately, was not strictly enforced.
The ball now is in President Aquino’s court. Granting that such an order is forthcoming, who would now want to join the government? It will not be able to compete with the private sector in terms of compensation.
Unless, of course, one joins government with the intention of stealing taxpayers’ money.
* * *
In the wake of the collapse of negotiations between Philippine Airlines management and the group of flight attendants and pilots, Malacañang has threatened to adopt the long-neglected policy which would open Philippine skies to the unlimited entry of foreign airlines.
The airline has been beset with problems: it continues to lose its shirt year in and year out and Lucio Tan’s labor woes have been worsening. Under these circumstances, PAL will likely go belly up.
From his deafening silence, Tan makes us think he may finally be ready to collapse the airline. After all, he still has AirPhil, the budget airline servicing regional routes. AirPhil is making money.
I think President Aquino should go ahead and opt for Open Skies. He should not just threaten to do so. We saw the need for this when PAL canceled numerous flights—and affected business and tourism.
For many years, a single interest—the powerful Tan’s—has held Presidents hostage. The argument against open skies has always been that if PAL could not get reciprocal rights to land on other countries intending to send flight to the Philippines, no way should Philippine skies get opened to foreign airlines.
It’s a protectionist attitude which has no place in a global community. In a world without borders, business is the survival of the fittest. Sure, many foreign airlines are subsidized (as was PAL when government still controlled it). But the airline business has become more competitive than ever.
I say it’s about time President Aquino show political will and do what is best for the national interest.
* * *
The President did what had to be done by reading the Riot Act to two-star Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue. This came from the Commander-in-Chief after Angue complained before media about his re-assignment to Zamboanga, which he claimed to be a “demotion” from his former post in the National Capital Region. Indeed, Angue should have simply kept his mouth shut and followed his superiors’ order.
Since there’s a process in the military for airing grievances, Angue violated something very basic in the military—the chain-of-command. And the President had to do something because if such protests afflict the military, others who do not get what they want may also resort to the same actions.
It is true that politics sometimes gets in the way of promotions. But Angue should have been aware of this from the start. It’s a good thing President Aquino told Angue to shut up. But he must also look into the system of promotions because problems here can cause demoralization in the military.
* * *
Insiders at Customs rate the performance of Commissioner Joselito Alvarez as “so far, so good.”
Well, considering the numbers that the national government expects the agency to produce, “good” will simply not cut it. To meet and overshoot his targets, Alvarez has to come up with the measures to drastically curb smuggling, and exercise political will to flush out all the rats that infest the pier zones. These elements take away from government billions of pesos in revenues.
Fortunately for Alvarez, the golf scorecard cheating issue that had initially hounded him has been relegated at the sidelines. What still hovers above him, however, is the link to former Customs Chief Guillermo Parayno, now Finance undersecretary, and Bert Lina, who reportedly still have tremendous clout over Customs operations.
Prior to his appointment to the Bureau of Customs, Alvarez was a director of several companies owned by Lina. On the other hand, Parayno was president of yet another Lina company that is a subcontractor of a firm that deals with the BoC’s Management Information Systems and Technology Group headed by a known Parayno protege, Deputy Commissioner Alexander “Balong” Arevalo.
Observers say that Alvarez could put this issue to rest if he digs deep into the operations of the MISTG which, according to those in the know, are mired in secrets stored in computer technology. Only Arevalo knows these secrets and he supposedly chooses not to share these with anyone, not even with his former boss, Napoleon “Boy” Morales. My gulay, that was one instance of an Alexander standing his ground to a Napoleon!
This time, can Alvarez get out of Arevalo every bit of information pertaining to the agency’s import transactions? If he takes it further and bears down on Arevalo, he would in effect be finally cutting off the umbilical cord that ties him to the influential gentleman. And Santa Banana, that could be a final giant step towards genuine reform at the BoC, and one that could be termed not merely “good,” but “truly praiseworthy”!
* * *
GMA network has seemingly found its golden touch anew as it has successfully regained the momentum in the ratings game versus its closest rival ABS-CBN for the month of July.
Mega Manila continues to deliver solid numbers for GMA-7. Nielsen TV Audience Measurement’s Mega Manila data for July show GMA posting a 5.6-percentage point advantage over ABS-CBN in audience shares, 37.5 percent versus 31.9 percent. Among households, GMA-7 still leads ABS-CBN, 35.3 percent versus 32.8 percent.
GMA-7’s strong ratings performance in July is also visible in Urban Luzon, which makes up 77 percent of television households nationwide. Here, GMA-7 led ABS-CBN by 0.4 percent in people audience shares with 35.8 as against the latter’s 35.4 percent. It is important to note that GMA-7’s margin resulted from a noticeable decline in ABS-CBN’s share performance in the said area, where it led GMA-7 by 5.4 percentage points last June.
And though ABS-CBN is still ahead in national ratings, GMA-7 is undeniably catching up, July people ratings show GMA-7 trailing ABS-CBN by just 1.5 percentage points, 6.0 percent versus 7.5 percent.
At the rate things are going, GMA-7 is in a very good position to further eat up on ABS-CBN’s lead in national ratings, especially with its newly launched shows “Ilumina,” “Kaya ng Powers,” and “Love ni Mister, Love ni Misis.” Add to that the highly-anticipated third season of the top-rating reality show “Survivor Philippines.” GMA’s news programs and specials meanwhile remain as viewers’ most preferred source of information.
Note that Nielsen TV Audience Measurement used by GMA-7 is also used by at least 22 other companies including TV Channel—not ABS-CBN. On the other hand, only a handful, including ABS-CBN, is said to subscribe to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS Philippines.
* * *
It’s no exaggeration when I say that torture seems to be a police culture. In my over half a century as a journalist, having covered all beats from the police, jails, city halls, courts and on to the Department of Justice, Finance, Bureau of Customs, Immigration, the Armed Forces, the Central Bank and every economic beat, I know whereof I speak. I have seen policemen beat up suspects, especially the hardened criminals involved in rape, drugs, murder, and syndicated crimes like carnapping and kidnapping for ransom.
The idea is to make the suspects admit their crimes without giving them the benefit of the doubt. When I saw that ABS-CBN video, I was more than shocked at how cruel some people can get to others. It’s a perfect example of man’s inhumanity to fellow man.
Torture by police in the Philippines is not uncommon. It also happens in other countries. Even members of the police forces in the US, the FBI and the CIA resort to it to get confessions and results.
We may minimize them in the Philippines by a vigilant media, but how about places where media is not as present and vigilant?
* * *
Filipinos have garnered so many awards and recognition abroad. But one recognition that has not been publicized is that of former Laguna Rep. Totoy Tingzon, regarded as the “Godfather” of Youth Basketball in the Philippines”. He helped establish the Little League organization in the early 1960s while concurrent head of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Associations and the Manila Bay Baseball League, and went on to introduce PONY International in Asia under the Philippine Tot Basketball Association.
When the 35th PONY in Asia was marked in July in Tokyo, Tingzon was supposed to have attended it as an awardee, being a co-founder of PONY Asia and a PONY Hall of Famer. Tingzon, however, could not make it because of prior commitments.
Medium Rare
Fly or fry
By JULLIE Y. DAZA
August 20, 2010, 4:45pm
Manila Bulletin
If effectively you have failed to live up to your obligations to the people, government will be forced to adopt a policy that will have to side with the riding public rather than the interest of one corporation.
– President Aquino Thank you, Mr. President, for siding with the riding public and not that “one corporation,” Philippine Airlines. On the other hand, when has government favored the national flag-carrier? And now, on top of all its labor woes – pilots turning their back on the airline after the P1 million spent to train each of them; flight attendants and ground staff poised to strike – it looks like the pressure is on the airline to jettison its owners and vice-versa.
The Tourism secretary is calling for “partial open skies.” What’s that? Like a half-pregnant woman? someone who’s half-corrupt, like a cheating golfer who would make an ideal tax collector?
The riding public will benefit directly from government’s pro-passenger stance if it would, aha and ehem, subsidize PAL like all those Middle Eastern airlines are subsidized by their governments.
Our airport is probably the only one in this part of the world where one and only one European airline, KLM, flies in because all the others just cannot compete with the subsidized fares of their Middle Eastern competitors.
Subsidizing PAL, what a great way to fly!
By JULLIE Y. DAZA
August 20, 2010, 4:45pm
Manila Bulletin
If effectively you have failed to live up to your obligations to the people, government will be forced to adopt a policy that will have to side with the riding public rather than the interest of one corporation.
– President Aquino Thank you, Mr. President, for siding with the riding public and not that “one corporation,” Philippine Airlines. On the other hand, when has government favored the national flag-carrier? And now, on top of all its labor woes – pilots turning their back on the airline after the P1 million spent to train each of them; flight attendants and ground staff poised to strike – it looks like the pressure is on the airline to jettison its owners and vice-versa.
The Tourism secretary is calling for “partial open skies.” What’s that? Like a half-pregnant woman? someone who’s half-corrupt, like a cheating golfer who would make an ideal tax collector?
The riding public will benefit directly from government’s pro-passenger stance if it would, aha and ehem, subsidize PAL like all those Middle Eastern airlines are subsidized by their governments.
Our airport is probably the only one in this part of the world where one and only one European airline, KLM, flies in because all the others just cannot compete with the subsidized fares of their Middle Eastern competitors.
Subsidizing PAL, what a great way to fly!
Open skies eyed to boost tourism
By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated August 20, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is seriously considering an open skies policy to reverse civil aviation policies that Malacañang officials said have been hampering tourism development.
“It’s about time that we assess (the situation) and to have more relaxed rules for the country to grow,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said yesterday.
The move will allow foreign carriers to service the routes of Philippine Airlines (PAL) if the management and personnel of the flag carrier fail to resolve their labor disputes.
Aquino cited the perennial labor problems besetting PAL. He stressed the riding public should not be held hostage by these disputes.
Mr. Aquino said he would consider the interest of the public in general as against the corporate interests of a single corporation.
Coloma reiterated the President’s call on the PAL management and its workers to consider national interest since the public would be affected by their actions.
Although an open skies policy could affect PAL and other local carriers, Coloma stressed its benefits could boost tourism and the economy.
The President had cited as an example the tourism in Bali where the number of tourists increased after the aviation policies were relaxed in Indonesia.
He stressed the present aviation policy should be reevaluated.
“The problem of our tourism industry is that there only few flights entering the country,” Mr. Aquino said.
“They are very few because (airline industry) is regulated in terms of the entry of other carriers. If we open, then entries will increase,” Coloma added.
PAL, for its part, welcomed the proposal of adopting an open skies policy.
“The President’s pronouncement is a wake-up call for both PAL management and its cabin crew union to immediately solve (its labor) impasse. We hear the President’s call that we must find solutions to avoid any inconvenience to the riding public,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said.
“Let’s make it clear: PAL is not against open skies. We just want it to be fair, reciprocal and its implementation should be phased-in and calibrated,” he said.
Bautista added the open skies should be viewed in the context of available infrastructure like the country’s congested airport runways and overburdened terminals.
He said these factors contributed to the country’s negative image abroad as a premier tourist destination.
Bautista also called to expand the capacity of other airports in the country to accommodate more flights and promote tourism in the countryside.
More support
Other groups and sectors also expressed their support for the open skies policy.
Ruperto Cruz of the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) said the open skies policy could even benefit overseas Filipino workers aside from boosting local tourism.
“It’s a long-delayed justice for the hundreds of thousands of OFWs who would benefit from cheaper and direct flights from the places they work abroad.
It is also an act dismantling virtual aviation monopoly that has shackled national interest for so long,” Cruz said.
Cruz said their group had been pushing to adopt an open skies policy since 1994 proposing the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) as “the future site of the country’s premiere international airport.”
“It is unfortunate that air access to the Philippines is not only inadequate. It is severely limited by an antiquated regulatory policy that seeks to preserve certain advantages for a select few at the expense of those who need to fly,” he said.
The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) and The Center for Strategic Initiatives also expressed support for more liberalized open skies policy.
They said the open skies policy would address the problems of delay in the deployment of workers because of the shortage of flights to the Middle East.
Officials of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) operating the DMIA also expressed support for a more liberal policy in the aviation industry.
CIAC executive vice president Alex Cauguiran said the adoption of open skies policy would result in increased tourist arrivals.
Affordable Air Access Alliance-OFW Sector (4A’s), an alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), headed by Arnel de Guzman, also expressed their support for the plan.
De Guzman said an open skies policy “would allow millions of Filipino workers in the Middle East cheaper access to air fares being granted by various air carriers.”
“There are about 1.8 million overseas Filipino workers mostly coming from Central and Northern Luzon. The closest airport in the area is DMIA in the Clark Freeport,” De Guzman said.
The Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) said the present aviation policy restricted foreign airlines at DMIA to only the third and fourth international freedom rights of air carriers.
They said the restrictive air policy effectively reduced the number of potential flights and passengers to the DMIA and dampened its attractiveness as a regional economic hub.
Losers
On the other hand, a tourism industry leader urged President Aquino should support PAL in trying to solve its labor problems instead of adopting an open skies policy.
“The government should support PAL and not act like they are operating PAL. It should leave PAL to work with its airline partners and implement its contingency measures in case a strike will happen,” said Robert Lim Joseph, chairman of the Travel Cooperative of the Philippines and chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies.
Joseph said the government should not intervene in the labor row and warned other interest groups would take advantage of the situation to the detriment of PAL and the national interest.
Joseph recalled that when foreign airlines were allowed to service some PAL routes, the flag carrier temporarily ceased operations in 1998 and airline fares went up.
“This is not to mention the damage that such policy of allowing foreign airlines to take over PAL’s routes will do to our image,” Joseph said.
Joseph also warned Filipino travel and cargo agents would be displaced once foreign airlines take over PAL’s operations.
Joseph appealed to the PAL union leaders for sobriety and to work with management to resolve their differences for the sake of national interest.
PAL reportedly lost P15 billion in the last two fiscal years (2008-2009) due to the global economic crisis that drastically slowed down travel and high cost of jet fuel, among others.
Joseph pointed out that “one crisis cannot solve another crisis,” and warned that in case PAL collapses as a result of a crippling strike, 8,500 jobs will be lost and workers can no longer get whatever benefits they are entitled to like retirement and health.
“Both management and workers will lose in the event PAL will close down,” he said. – With Mary Ann Reyes, Ding Cervantes
MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is seriously considering an open skies policy to reverse civil aviation policies that Malacañang officials said have been hampering tourism development.
“It’s about time that we assess (the situation) and to have more relaxed rules for the country to grow,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said yesterday.
The move will allow foreign carriers to service the routes of Philippine Airlines (PAL) if the management and personnel of the flag carrier fail to resolve their labor disputes.
Aquino cited the perennial labor problems besetting PAL. He stressed the riding public should not be held hostage by these disputes.
Mr. Aquino said he would consider the interest of the public in general as against the corporate interests of a single corporation.
Coloma reiterated the President’s call on the PAL management and its workers to consider national interest since the public would be affected by their actions.
Although an open skies policy could affect PAL and other local carriers, Coloma stressed its benefits could boost tourism and the economy.
The President had cited as an example the tourism in Bali where the number of tourists increased after the aviation policies were relaxed in Indonesia.
He stressed the present aviation policy should be reevaluated.
“The problem of our tourism industry is that there only few flights entering the country,” Mr. Aquino said.
“They are very few because (airline industry) is regulated in terms of the entry of other carriers. If we open, then entries will increase,” Coloma added.
PAL, for its part, welcomed the proposal of adopting an open skies policy.
“The President’s pronouncement is a wake-up call for both PAL management and its cabin crew union to immediately solve (its labor) impasse. We hear the President’s call that we must find solutions to avoid any inconvenience to the riding public,” PAL president Jaime Bautista said.
“Let’s make it clear: PAL is not against open skies. We just want it to be fair, reciprocal and its implementation should be phased-in and calibrated,” he said.
Bautista added the open skies should be viewed in the context of available infrastructure like the country’s congested airport runways and overburdened terminals.
He said these factors contributed to the country’s negative image abroad as a premier tourist destination.
Bautista also called to expand the capacity of other airports in the country to accommodate more flights and promote tourism in the countryside.
More support
Other groups and sectors also expressed their support for the open skies policy.
Ruperto Cruz of the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) said the open skies policy could even benefit overseas Filipino workers aside from boosting local tourism.
“It’s a long-delayed justice for the hundreds of thousands of OFWs who would benefit from cheaper and direct flights from the places they work abroad.
It is also an act dismantling virtual aviation monopoly that has shackled national interest for so long,” Cruz said.
Cruz said their group had been pushing to adopt an open skies policy since 1994 proposing the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) as “the future site of the country’s premiere international airport.”
“It is unfortunate that air access to the Philippines is not only inadequate. It is severely limited by an antiquated regulatory policy that seeks to preserve certain advantages for a select few at the expense of those who need to fly,” he said.
The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (FAME) and The Center for Strategic Initiatives also expressed support for more liberalized open skies policy.
They said the open skies policy would address the problems of delay in the deployment of workers because of the shortage of flights to the Middle East.
Officials of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) operating the DMIA also expressed support for a more liberal policy in the aviation industry.
CIAC executive vice president Alex Cauguiran said the adoption of open skies policy would result in increased tourist arrivals.
Affordable Air Access Alliance-OFW Sector (4A’s), an alliance of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), headed by Arnel de Guzman, also expressed their support for the plan.
De Guzman said an open skies policy “would allow millions of Filipino workers in the Middle East cheaper access to air fares being granted by various air carriers.”
“There are about 1.8 million overseas Filipino workers mostly coming from Central and Northern Luzon. The closest airport in the area is DMIA in the Clark Freeport,” De Guzman said.
The Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) said the present aviation policy restricted foreign airlines at DMIA to only the third and fourth international freedom rights of air carriers.
They said the restrictive air policy effectively reduced the number of potential flights and passengers to the DMIA and dampened its attractiveness as a regional economic hub.
Losers
On the other hand, a tourism industry leader urged President Aquino should support PAL in trying to solve its labor problems instead of adopting an open skies policy.
“The government should support PAL and not act like they are operating PAL. It should leave PAL to work with its airline partners and implement its contingency measures in case a strike will happen,” said Robert Lim Joseph, chairman of the Travel Cooperative of the Philippines and chairman emeritus of the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies.
Joseph said the government should not intervene in the labor row and warned other interest groups would take advantage of the situation to the detriment of PAL and the national interest.
Joseph recalled that when foreign airlines were allowed to service some PAL routes, the flag carrier temporarily ceased operations in 1998 and airline fares went up.
“This is not to mention the damage that such policy of allowing foreign airlines to take over PAL’s routes will do to our image,” Joseph said.
Joseph also warned Filipino travel and cargo agents would be displaced once foreign airlines take over PAL’s operations.
Joseph appealed to the PAL union leaders for sobriety and to work with management to resolve their differences for the sake of national interest.
PAL reportedly lost P15 billion in the last two fiscal years (2008-2009) due to the global economic crisis that drastically slowed down travel and high cost of jet fuel, among others.
Joseph pointed out that “one crisis cannot solve another crisis,” and warned that in case PAL collapses as a result of a crippling strike, 8,500 jobs will be lost and workers can no longer get whatever benefits they are entitled to like retirement and health.
“Both management and workers will lose in the event PAL will close down,” he said. – With Mary Ann Reyes, Ding Cervantes
Thursday, August 19, 2010
PAL urges gov't to implement "fair" open skies policy
(philstar.com) Updated August 19, 2010 10:01 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) -- Embattled flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) cautioned against the liberalization of air rights, better known as the open skies policy, as the country's current infrastructure may not be able to handle increased air traffic, according to the PAL's statement today.
"Let's make it clear: PAL is not against open skies. We just want it to be fair, reciprocal and its implementation should be phased-in and calibrated," PAL President Jaime J. Bautista said in the statement.
Bautista is reacting to President Benigno S. Aquino III's statement Wednesday, saying that the government is studying the implementation of the open skies policy, which will allow more flights to enter the country thus raising tourism receipts. Aquino 's statement was issued at a time that PAL is being hounded by labor issues, forcing it to cancel some flights.
But Bautista said the open skies policy should be viewed in the context of "available infrastructure like the Ninoy Aquino International Airport's (NAIA) congested single runway, overburdened terminals and the country's negative image as a tourist destination."
As he welcomed calls for more relaxed access to the Philippines, he said all airlines with existing capacity rights to Clark, Cebu, Davao and other areas should be encouraged to mount more flights to these areas to decongest Manila and promote nationwide tourism.
The Philippines has already signed an open skies deal with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but the current deal covers major airports only. In the Philippine case, only the Manila-based NAIA is covered.
President Aquino also said that the unresolved dispute between the PAL management and the 1,600 members of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) may hasten the country's adoption of open skies policy, especially if the interest of the riding public is at stake.
"The President's pronouncement is a wake-up call for both PAL management and its cabin crew union to immediately solve the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) impasse. We hear the President's call that we must find solutions to avoid any inconvenience to the riding public," Bautista said.
“More than anyone else, PAL wants to put closure to its 2005-2010 CBA with its cabin crew. But like any negotiated CBA, it must take into consideration not only the union's demands but the airline's capacity to pay and meet those demands. It's give and take," he said.
He added that non-economic benefits such as the retirement age and other peripheral issues can be discussed in the next round of CBA talks which PAL management and FASAP "can immediately begin."
FASAP, however, insisted that all the issues, particularly the retirement age, should be resolved immediately.
Aquino warns PAL strikers govt will allow open skies
by Vito Barcelo and Eric Apolonio
August 19, 2010
ManilaStandardToday
August 19, 2010
ManilaStandardToday
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday the government might open the airline market to more competition if the workers in Philippine Airlines struck and crippled the nation’s largest carrier.
“They will hasten the opening of our skies if they disrupt a very necessary service to the country,” Mr. Aquino said of the employees who have threatened to strike over pay and other grievances.
He would have to side with the riding public in the ongoing dispute at the flag carrier.
“Having either a total open-skies policy or a partial open-skies policy, which was done somewhere in the ‘90s, is already being studied,” Mr. Aquino said, adding some foreign airlines could be asked to serve PAL’s routes if a strike crippled its operations.
In 1998 the government asked Cathay Pacific to take over some of Philippine Airlines’ routes after some 600 of its pilots struck.
“If you fail to live up to your obligations, the government will be forced to adopt a policy that will side with the riding public,” Mr. Aquino said.
He urged the carrier’s management and labor groups to think of the future as they sought to end their dispute.
The airline’s flight attendants and stewards pulled out of talks Tuesday over its refusal to take up their objections to the mandatory retirement age of 40 for women. They also threatened to join the ground crew who have already filed a notice of strike with the Labor Department.
Officials of the cabin crew union, representing about 1,600 flight attendants and stewards, rejected a management call Wednesday to reconsider its offer of P80 million to close collective bargaining talks.
The union wants a 7-percent pay increase, which they value at P260 million, and an increase in the women’s retirement age to 60, the same for men.
“PAL misses the point,” said Bob Anduiza, president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines.
“The 40-year-old mandatory retirement age is unreasonable and unjustified … It is not about money; it is about age and gender discrimination.
“PAL cannot even explain to the public why it insists on retiring flight attendants at such an early age. PAL is unfairly using this issue as a leverage and a bargaining chip to get difficult work-rule changes from the flight attendants and make them work for less pay.”
Anduiza said the airline’s policy on pregnancy and maternity leave was not only discriminatory but could also be unlawful.
“PAL’s pregnancy policy for flight attendants is punitive,” he said.
“Flight attendants who get pregnant are placed on prolonged leave without pay and this period is deducted from their years of service. It is the same treatment imposed on employees who are penalized with suspension.”
The airline was also deducting the mandatory maternity leave of 60 days from a flight attendant’s years of service, Anduiza said.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the law required a lengthy process before workers could strike. A majority of the union’s members must also approve the strike through a secret ballot.
“There is a 30-day cooling-off period after the filing of a notice of strike,” she said, to give the department time to mediate.
Some non-union workers who oppose the strike have appealed to the Labor Department to step into the dispute.
“We’re concerned that our anti-strike sentiments will not be heard,” said Eugene Reyes, an employee assigned to the departure check-in counter at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“Our main concern is our livelihood and the future of our children. We hope Secretary Baldoz will protect our rights.”
PAL has 7,590 regular employees, including 450 pilots and 1,650 cabin crew. More than 3,000 workers are non-union members. With Joyce Pangco Pañares
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