Legarda Sees Boost in Trade and Tourism with Antique Airport Improvement, PAL Direct Flights

Senator Loren Legarda today said that the improvement of Antique airport and the Philippine Airlines' (PAL) direct flights to Antique will spur local economy as it will boost trade and tourism.



“Today, as we welcome the inaugural flight of Philippine Airlines in our newly renovated airport, I can proudly say that: Antique’s progress is unstoppable,” said Legarda in a speech read by Governor Rhodora Cadiao during the inaugural flight of PAL to Antique airport.



“We are ready to welcome more tourists in our province and we are excited to share our products to more Filipinos and tourists outside the province. Our expanded and upgraded airport will be our gateway and PAL will be our partner in this endeavor,” she added.



It was through Legarda's efforts that PAL is now servicing direct flights to Antique.



Starting December 16, PAL Express flies to Antique twice a week, on Sundays and Tuesdays. It will depart from Clark International Airport at 6:00am and arrive at Antique Airport in San Jose de Buenavista at 7:20am. Return flight leaves Antique Airport at 7:40am and arrives in Clark International Airport at 9:00am.



“Antique has so much potential for growth. This is just the beginning of many more successes for our beloved province,” Legarda concluded.

Boracay business group may retract opposition to cruise ship operators

The Boracay Foundation Inc. (BFI) is reviewing its earlier position on cruise ships making a beeline to this resort island.

BFI President Maylynn A. Graf said the business organization has been opposing the cruise ship industry after authorities cited Boracay’s environmental degradation.

Graf noted cruise ships included Boracay as a stop after Aklan Gov. Florencio T. Miraflores signed in 2015 a memorandum of understanding with the Miami, Florida-headquartered Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

“Right now, since Boracay is already environmentally safe, we are considering to support the cruise ship tourism. We are, however, still studying if we could officially support it,” Graf said.

Graf said BFI’s review comes after Boracay was reopened to tourists on October 26, six months after it was closed for rehabilitation. She also noted reports saying a cruise ship will be arriving in Boracay on December 18 bringing some 3,000 tourists.

Earlier, Niven Maquirang, Caticlan and Cagban jetty port administrator, said they are expecting some 28 cruise ship port calls at Boracay next year.

Legarda Partners with DOT to Bring PHL Harvest to Antique

In a bid to further promote tourism and the products of Antique, Senator Loren Legarda has partnered with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to bring the Philippine Harvest to the province.



Dubbed as Antique Harvest, it is the first in Western Visayas and aims to promote culinary heritage and tourist destinations in the 18 towns of Antique. It will be held on December 14-16, 2018 at the Expansion Area of Robinsons Place Antique.



“The DOT’s Philippine Harvest promotes the culinary heritage of different regions in the country. I wanted them to do the same for Antique so we can showcase the local food and tourist destinations of all the municipalities. It is a way to boost the promotion of Antique destinations, cultures, and values through food and other Philippine Tourism products,” said Legarda.



The Antique Harvest will have twenty-two (22) exhibitors featuring farm tourism sites, destinations, local food and travel agencies that promote sustainable travel.



There will be a Central Setting where weaving demonstrations will be conducted featuring artisans from weaving centers in Tibiao, Bugasong and Pandan, all of which have been receiving support from Senator Legarda.



“I want to boost tourism and trade in Antique through the Antique Harvest, which will coincide with the inaugural flight of Philippine Airlines to San Jose on December 16. These are efforts to promote our local products and tourist sites. Once there is greater demand for these products and sites, there will be more livelihood opportunities for Antiqueños,” said Legarda.



“This is only the beginning of many more initiatives for our province. We have many other collaborations with national government agencies and even the private sector to bring their programs to Antique,” Legarda concluded.

Boracay exceeds tourist capacity for a day

For a day, this island resort exceeded its daily tourist arrival cap by a few hundreds.

Tourists who visited Boracay on Nov. 30 reached 6,772, a monthly summary of tourist arrivals courtesy of the Municipal Tourism Office of Malay town showed.

The Department of Tourism previously said the island can accommodate only 6,405 tourists on a daily basis.

Most of those who went to Boracay on Nov. 30 were domestic tourists (4,845).

The foreigners among them numbered 1,888 while there were 39 overseas Filipino workers, the summary showed.

For the president of the Boracay Foundation, Inc., an organization of local businesses, the numbers prove how naturally attractive the island is to tourists.

That the number of tourists exceeded the limit even just by a few hundreds “shows the desire of many to visit” Boracay, said Maylynn Graf.

“We anticipate the influx of tourist arrivals in Boracay during the Yuletide season,” said Graf.

In April the government ordered Boracay closed to visitors for six months to give way to rehabilitation efforts. The island was reopened on Oct. 26./