THE Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday appeared to wash its hands off on the suspension of new and additional charter flights to Kalibo and Caticlan.
The move, as contained in a CAB memo issued on June 11, is projected to result in losses amounting to P2.1 billion for resorts on the island from July to September, considered part of the lean season. (See, “Charter flights halt costs Boracay resorts P2 billion,” in the BusinessMirror, June 27, 2019.)
Stakeholders on the island are expected to appeal the CAB memo shortly.
In a text message to the BusinessMirror, DOT Spokesman and Undersecretary for Tourism Development Planning Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said, “Since the reopening of Boracay in October 2018, in compliance with the directive of the President to sustain the gains we have made, we have been in constant talks with the CAB to cooperate in maintaining the island’s carrying capacity. Part of this communication is a reminder to monitor the number of flights that CAB allows to Caticlan and Kalibo pursuant to the established carrying capacity of Boracay.”
He added, “Ultimately, it is CAB that decides on the number of flights allowed into Caticlan and Kalibo, since it has the relevant data to use as basis.”
The DOT Secretary is vice chairman of the CAB board of directors. Yet, Bengzon and other officials failed to respond to questions if the DOT tried to stop the implementation of the memo, or at least asked to hold it in abeyance, so they could consult or inform the Boracay stakeholders first.
A source in the CAB indicated that DOT went along with the memo. “Look at the composition of the board. It was a board decision effective immediately,” the source stressed.
In a meeting with tourism stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss the National Tourism Development Plan, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said, “I did not order for the charters to be suspended. That is up to the CAB because they are the ones who should know how many planes arrive. I just merely reminded them of the carrying capacity, and they have historical figures.”
She admitted, though, that it was “a bad decision, and it’s best to ask CAB about their decision of stopping [charters]. They are given 30 days to decide. What I just did [when] I went before [on] October 26 and the May 2 [board meeting] was merely to remind them about the carrying capacity, which never changed.”
The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) is implementing a carrying capacity of 19,125 tourists on the island at any given time.
Data from the DOT showed from January 1 to June 9, 2019, that carrying capacity has not yet been breached. Data from 2017 also showed that during the low season, from July to October, the island accommodated only 562,584 tourists, or an average of 4,688.2 tourists per day.
The BIATF also recently announced that as of June 4, there were 358 accredited establishments on the island with a total of 12,952 rooms.
DOT officials failed to say if they emphasized these data during the CAB board meeting before the memorandum was issued, according to stakeholders who attended the meeting on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Virgilio Sacdalan, vice chairman of the Compliant Association of Boracay, said, “We’ve talked with other stakeholders and we’re preparing for an appeal [of the CAB memorandum].”
Aside from impacting resorts, an industry source noted: “The travel agents are also affected, because they claim they have to pay penalties to the booked passengers.”
Many of the suspended charter flights are coming from Naning, Wuhan, Hefei, Chongqing, Wenzhou, and other Chinese cities.
CAB’s memo on June 11, 2019 states: “This is to inform all carriers operating to and from Kalibo and Caticlan that a moratorium is implemented effective immediately on all new and or additional scheduled and charter flights to Kalibo and Caticlan airports, including new and/or additional flights approved for IATA (International Air Transport Association) summer season 2019.”
All carriers were also required to revert to their 2018 winter schedule. “Likewise, approvals and further processing of charter flights [to] Kalibo and Caticlan will be held in abeyance until further notice.”
Estimates by resorts on their losses due to the six-month closure of Boracay last year were varied, but the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) earlier said the economy lost close to P2 billion.
According to the CAB, four carriers with charter services to Kalibo are affected by the moratorium. Most of them come from several points in China and South Korea. These are Tigerair Taiwan, Air Busan, Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Far Eastern Air Transport.
CAB Deputy Executive Director Alexander Paul T. Rivera clarified: “Chartered flights that were approved by CAB prior to the release of the moratorium will be allowed to proceed/operate as scheduled. But those applying for charter flights will be suspended or held in abeyance due to the moratorium. In other words, no new approvals for chartered flights will be approved, but only for Kalibo and Caticlan flights, when the moratorium is in effect.”
Most of the charter carriers with previously approved schedules fly three to four times a week.
No charter flights had been approved for Caticlan before the moratorium was declared.