A brand new wide bodied jetliner, Boeing 777-ER series carrying at least 400 passengers that include Philippine dignitaries, travel and tourism executives will touch down (Dec.1, 2012) at Toronto’s Pearson International airport at Terminal 3 for a groundbreaking inaugural flight.
Philippine Airlines PR flight 118 from Manila begins its historic maiden journey to the biggest Canadian city starting November 30 fulfilling a longtime wish from the 250,000 strong Filipino-Canadians from the Greater Toronto area……a direct flight from the capital city of Manila right to the doorstep of Toronto.
“We hear them loud and clear and we’re ready to serve them“said Ramon Ang, president of Philippine Air lines (PAL) in announcing the pioneering Manila-Toronto route of the Philippines’ national flag carrier which had the reputation as the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia (established in 1941).
For quite some time, there has been a clamor for a direct flight emanating from Toronto to fill the needs of the growing Filipino community in the Greater Toronto area.
Statistics showed at least 117,400 Filipino-Canadians arrived in the Philippines in 2011 and this number will increase further because this year (2012) in the last 8 months, 81,093 more shuttled back and forth to Manila.
In the past, Filipino-Canadians had to contend of taking flights on other carriers like Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Northwest, and Eva Air or Japan airlines which have several stopovers in several cities before they reach their final destination at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and sometimes too, they had to change planes, disembark, claim and re-check in their baggage, a process that causes no small amount of inconvenience.
While currently PAL fly to Vancouver daily, one has to take a connecting flight to Toronto on another airline, check out your baggage and then re-check-in. The PAL Manila-Vancouver (MNL-YVR) will now be reduced to 4 times weekly with some flights to piggy back with the Toronto-Manila as it makes a layover at the Western Canadian city.
The Manila-Toronto (airline code: MNL/YYZ) route has a distance of 13,230 kilometers and takes a least 17 hours to complete on PAL’s direct flight route (with brief technical stopover at Vancouver).
Departure of the Manila-Toronto flights takes place every Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays at 3:00pm (Manila time) and arrive at Pearson at 5:00pm (Toronto time).
On the return to Manila, it will depart Pearson as PR Flight 119 at 7:35pm (Toronto time) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday via Vancouver (9:30pm-11:30pm) and arrive at PAL’s own Centennial Terminal 2 at 5:45 pm (Manila time).
The inaugural route to Toronto, according to Ang, is part of PAL’s “long range network expansion that will see PAL to the US East coast and Europe” after reclaiming the country’s ratings of category 1 from the international aviation industry governing bodies notably the US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA).
The Philippines was downgraded to Category 2 by the FAA after it failed to meet requirements (such as aviation inspectors, safety equipment and procedures) and which meant that its national flag carrier PAL cannot add any new routes to the US and other destinations in Europe and elsewhere.
The installation of the Toronto route was also hailed as a reflection of the improving economy of the Philippines, attracting new investors to the country.
PAL itself has “resurrected itself “with the infusion of new capital and new major stock holder in food giant San Miguel Corporation (SMC) which bought at least 49 percent ($500 million) of the company. Prior to that, the company had embarked on a modernization program buying new and modern fuel-efficient aircraft and equipment. By 2013, PAL will build the biggest airport in the Philippines located near Makati with an area of 2,000 hectares.
It will also bolster the Philippines as a destination among Canadians. It has been noted that in major travel publications and travel pages of major Canadian newspapers, there has been no aggressive promotions of the Philippines as a tourist spot worth visiting.
As we go to press, the Toronto-Manila flights scheduled after the Dec.1 arrivals are said to be fully booked. This is because the promo seat sale reportedly cost only $800 good up to March of 2013. O sakay na!
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GIVE PEACE A CHANCE: Looks like Mindanao will have a peaceful and war-free Christmas this year with the landmark signing of the so-called “ Bangsamoro Framework Agreement “for peace between the Government of the Philippine’s Peace panel and the Rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Signed some weeks ago at Malacanang with the prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak and high officials of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in witness, the peace pact will set down the framework for a proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region comprised of some five provinces in Muslim Mindanao and replacing the current ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao).
Hopefully, this will end the 40 year old war and struggle in Mindanao which has stunted economic growth and caused the deaths of thousands.
If the peace pact becomes a success, foreign aid for development will pour in to the region hastening it development and prosperity.
The OIC, the influential organization of Muslim nations (equivalent to the United Nations) will lead the way to entice its oil-rich Middle Eastern nation-members to contribute and fund more projects in the region.
Lets give peace a chance!