Boracay to Palawan flights by SEAIR

‘Paradise-to-Paradise’ route now open

First posted 06:31:47 (Mla time) January 02, 2009
Allison Lopez

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Tourists no longer have to take a circuitous route just to visit Puerto Princesa from Kota Kinabalu or vice versa. The two cities boast of three World Heritage sites.

For its first international route, Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair) flew a 32-seat plane to the capital of Sabah from Palawan.

“It used to be so near yet so far. So we welcome this, and we hope that this flight will provide more exchange between our people,” Tungku Zainal Adlin, Sabah Tourism Board chair, said at the route’s recent launch at the Kota Kinabalu airport.

The destinations have their strengths, according to Zainal. “Where in the world can you find Tubbataha Reef, the Underground River and Mount Kinabalu?” he said.

Palawan hub

The link removes the hassle of connecting flights to Manila or Cebu before getting to neighboring countries like Malaysia, which is less than an hour from Palawan on Seair’s Dornier 328 aircraft.

“We are looking at creating a hub in Palawan that will cut the necessity of passing through Manila or Cebu and make Palawan more attractive to tourists because of easy access,” said Patrick Tan, Seair vice president for commercial affairs.

The opening of the link between eastern Malaysia and Palawan came at a propitious time. The Puerto Princesa airport is undergoing renovation and is expected to improve its services for travelers early this year.

The choice of Kota Kinabalu for Seair’s first international destination was meant to promote the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) agreement, Seair president Avelino Zapanta said.

BIMP-EAGA was launched in March 1994 upon the proposal of then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos to expand economic cooperation among poorer areas in the four countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It aims to increase trade, investment and tourism in the sub-region. Included in the growth area are Mindanao and Palawan.

The opening of the route marked the first time that a BIMP-EAGA carrier was flying between two points in the growth area.

“Easy access to the tourist destinations is one key to a successful tourism program ... Seair is beginning to do this with the introduction of services between Puerto Princesa and KK,” he said.

Dream come true

Transportation Undersecretary Dante Lantin said the long-awaited opening of the route was a “dream come true.”

“The promotion of tourism is an important part of the BIMP-EAGA because of the vision of having one economic community in the ASEAN by 2015,” Lantin said.

He said the Department of Tourism would promote must-see attractions not only in the Philippines but also in the ASEAN member-countries as part of the goal to create a stronger regional economy.

From Boracay to Palawan

Seair also linked Boracay and Puerto Princesa for the first time as part of its “Paradise-to-Paradise” route.

So visitors to Boracay’s powdery white-sand beach may choose to hie off directly to Palawan, which has its own share of world-renowned dive spots in El Nido and Coron.

Beach lovers then can make the most of their trip without the usual backtracking through Clark (Pampanga)-Caticlan-Puerto Princesa-Kota Kinabalu.

The under-served destinations, especially in Mindanao, are being tapped by the airline because of the growing number of businessmen and tourists, according to Zapanta.

“We have been strengthening our domestic destinations by introducing new ones with great tourism potential. These include Basco (Batanes), Baler (Aurora), Daet (Camarines Norte), Tablas (Romblon) and Borongan (Eastern Samar),” he said.

Depending on the demand, he said Seair may increase its once-a-week flights from Caticlan to Palawan, and Palawan to Kota Kinabalu, to twice a week.

What’s definite is the airline will expand its operations in Clark by opening flights to Singapore and Macau, followed by Hong Kong, Cebu and Davao.

But for now, a quicker gateway to Malaysia’s prime eco-tourist destination seems more than enough.

Southeast Asia’s highest peak

There’s much to do in Kota Kinabalu, which has a population of half a million. It has mostly mid-rise buildings instead of skyscrapers like Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, and billboards are kept to a minimum unlike in Metro Manila.

The Sabah Tourism Board, which is in charge of marketing Kota Kinabalu, sums up what the city offers—“eco-treasures from mountain high to ocean deep.”

Kinabalu Park, Malaysia’s first World Heritage Site, is popular among hikers who want to climb Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia. The park is also home to stunning flora and fauna and the Poring Hot Springs.

Activities like white-water rafting and seawalking—the closest thing to diving—also attract the more adventurous, while a trip to the Lok Kawi Wildlife Park or a riverboat ride to spot the proboscis monkey, a creature endemic to Sabah, would appeal to the sight-seeing crowd.

As for food trips that Filipinos are fond of, Kota Kinabalu is no letdown with its fresh seafood, and the interesting mix of Chinese, Indian and Malaysian tastes in its cuisine.

Shopping for South Sea pearls and colorful handicraft is also something to look forward to at the so-called “Filipino market” (a tiangge-like area with a handful of Filipino vendors who immigrated to Malaysia).

Sultan of Sulu

There are tens of thousands of Filipinos, mainly from Mindanao, in Sabah, which is owned by the Sultan of Sulu. Sabah was incorporated into the Federation of Malaysia in the 1960s when the British granted it independence. The British had leased Sabah from the Sulu Sultanate. The Philippines’ pending claim to Sabah is dormant at this time.

The Philippines has never relinquished its claim to Sabah and Kuala Lumpur continues to pay a yearly rent to the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu. With Inquirer Research


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