PAL marks 75th year with new Los Angeles-to-Cebu flights
Consul General Bensurto Jr. receives a replica of PAL 777 aircraft from PAL Country Manager Marila Revilla. PHOTOS BY ESTHER CHAVEZ
BURLINGAME, California — Philippine Airlines announced new direct flights between Los Angeles and Cebu, the Philippines’ second largest city, during on a San Francisco Bay Area Roadshow last Thursday, February 4.
The service will start on March 15, which coincides with PAL’s 75th anniversary. There will be three weekly flights to Cebu using the 254-seater Airbus A340.
The new LA-Cebu service becomes the first direct connection between Cebu and the U.S., and boosts PAL’s international network from Mactan-Cebu International Airport to 34 weekly flights, including the existing direct services to Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo and Seoul. The LA-Cebu direct flight will be PAL’s 38th weekly flight to the U.S. mainland and its territories.
Cebu, as explained by Rowena Montecillo, DOT Director -Region 7, is a great jumping off point for balikbayans and tourists traveling to several Visayas and Mindanao destinations.
DOT leadership: Director Molintas at the podium, front row. Left to right: Judilyn Quiachon, Supervising Tourism Operations Officer, Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo, Driector, CESO III Market Development Group, and Rowena Lu Montecillo, Regional Director.
Not only that, Cebu itself is a destination. Surrounded by over a hundred islands, it offers a slew of tourist interests from diving, nature tripping, sun and beach, health and wellness and shopping to mention a few.
To emphasize the importance of this new route, San Francisco Consul General Henry Bensurto Jr., was on hand on hand to welcome guests. Joining him were the consular staff, DOT SF Director Purificacion Suanding-Molintas, Maria Corazon Jorda-Apo, Driector, CESO III Market Development Group, Rowena Lu Montecillo, Regional Director and Judilyn Quiachon, Supervising Tourism Operations Officer, and PAL officers headed by Country Manager Marila Revilla.
PAL Officers in attendance at San Francisco Roadshow: (Left to right) Bryan Sansolis, Sector Manager – US & Canada; Paolo Gatmaitan – Sales Rep Jemma Saranillo – Area Manager, Los Angeles; Joseph Callao – Sales Rep; Emelyn Roxas – Sales Rep; Jophine Encarnacion – Sales Assistant;Joseph Recio – Finance & Admin Manager; Edith Gelasio – Accounting; Shirley Ong – Accounting; Danny Mirabueno – Personnel; Lily Chan -Director of Bus Dev’t, Shangrila Hotels & Resort – Regional Ofc LAX; Podium : Marila Revilla – Country Manager Americas
Area Managers from LA and Canada DOT and PAL flew in several tour operators and travel agencies from Cebu and Manila to familiarize their local counterparts with exciting destinations and activities in Cebu and surrounding islands.
Bensurto said that the LA-Cebu route will not only increase flow of tourists to the country, but also ease the travel to Southern Philippine destinations. In addition, the Cebu hub will also bring with it cultural and economic benefits to local folks.
As was with the other roadshow stops, travel prizes were raffled off to the guests, which were mostly from media and tour companies. A lucky winner got the major prize of one PAL business class round trip ticket from San Francisco or Los Angeles to Manila then to Cebu, which comes with a 3 days/2 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast at Shangri-la at the Fort, 4 days/3 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast for two at Shangri-la Mactan Resort & Spa, 3 days/2 nights at Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa for two persons with Bohol countryside tour with lunch for 2 persons.
The San Francisco launch was the fourth and last leg in the four-city PAL-DOT Roadshow Presentation that included Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles.
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