DIRECT FLIGHTS. Dumanjug, Cebu officials led by Vice Mayor Erwin Gica (right), pay a courtesy visit to the members of the Ilocos Norte board on Tuesday (June 20, 2023). He said the proposed direct flights between Ilocos Norte's Laoag City and Cebu are good for business and tourism for the two provinces. (Photo by Leilanie G. Adriano)
LAOAG CITY — Dumanjug, Cebu officials on Tuesday said they are looking forward to the opening of direct flights between their province and Ilocos Norte.
The Cebu delegates said this during a visit to this city for the Marunggay Festival and a benchmarking activity on community-based tourism for inclusive growth.
Led by Dumanjug Vice Mayor Erwin Gica, the Cebu officials lauded the efforts of the city government of Laoag and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte for promoting sustainable environment protection while attracting more tourists to visit this northern gateway of Luzon.
“We are so thankful to visit Ilocos Norte for the first time and we hope that the direct flights connecting Cebu and Laoag will materialize soon so that we will see each other more often,” said Gica during a courtesy meeting with members of the Ilocos Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Last May, low-cost airline Cebu Pacific resumed its operations in this city after halting services in January 2017.
During the reintroduction of the daily Manila-Laoag flight, Michael Ivan S. Shau, the chief corporate affairs officer of Cebu Pacific, said in a media interview that their airline is committed to expanding flight frequencies and route options both domestically and internationally to meet the growing demand for air travel.
One of the proposed routes being considered by the management is the opening of direct flights between Laoag and Cebu to connect the two areas for business and tourism.
Even in pre-pandemic times, the Provincial Tourism Office reported that they have been constantly receiving inquiries about possibly adding new flights, such as for the Laoag-Cebu route.
"I would love to travel up north should there be direct flights from Cebu to Laoag," said Sarah Balorio, owner of Windy Peak Campsite and Retreat Center in Dumanjug, Cebu.
To date, there are two options to travel to Ilocos Norte from Cebu: via a connecting flight in Manila or a flight to Clark in Pampanga then a bus ride for about eight hours. (PNA)
