PAL execs meet with Torres, Hocog

Philippine Airlines and PAL Express officials met with Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lt. Gov. Victor Hocog to discuss their upcoming operations as well as a request to push for easier processing of Filipino tourists to come to the CNMI. (Frauleine Villanueva-Dizon)

Top representatives of Philippine Airlines, which will soon be flying direct and non-stop between Manila and Saipan, met with the CNMI government’s top officials to discuss their request of assistance, among others.

PAL’s commercial group senior vice president David Lim and its code share partner, PAL Express’ president Bonifacio Sam, made a courtesy visit to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and Lieutenant Gov. Victor Hocog last Friday.

House Speaker Rep. Ralph Demapan (R-Saipan) and House tourism committee chair Rep. Joseph Guerrero (R-Saipan) were also present.

The airline requested the Governor’s Office to help them push for the inclusion of Filipinos in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service visa waiver program or be granted some kind of parole.

“We are actually contemplating requesting your office to help us. Just like Russians, Chinese, they are given some visa waiver and we are trying to move toward that direction. Of course with your help, we’d like to pursue that,” Lim said.

“We are here to request your office if you can help us,” Sam said.

Currently, Filipinos who would like to travel to the CNMI have to secure a tourist visa from a U.S. Embassy. This would take weeks to months processing depending on the number of applicants in the embassy and would cost $160 for application fee, whether the visa is granted or not.

Lim added if some kind of program will be in place, this will increase traffic between Saipan and Manila especially as Filipinos now go out of the country for travel instead of for work.

“More Filipinos are going out of the Philippines as far as Europe, Iceland, as tourists and no longer contract workers. The landscape of the travelers in the Philippine is really good. It’s now becoming more on leisure travel. If we have this, this will be a very good factor to improve the operations,” Lim said.

“If we have enough traffic, we can have more flights,” Sam added.

PAL submitted a letter to the governor to formalize their request.

Torres said he will definitely look into the request.

“We need to officially write a letter to Homeland Security, Immigration, ask them if we can allow Philippine travelers to come to Saipan either visa-waiver or parole, some sort of easier process for them to come,” Torres said.

Connecting CNMI

Lim and Sam said PAL’s goal is to increase flights from the current twice a week plan, and to “connect Saipan to the rest of the world.”

“It’s true Manila could be an excellent opportunity for the CNMI to be a hub and connect us even to the south side, to Fiji, to Australia,” Torres agreed.

Asked by Torres if PAL is part of an alliance, Sam said not yet but they are already talking and “choosing the right alliance” for the airlines.

Currently, however, PAL has a number of international code share partners such as Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Shaman Airlines, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airways, and All Nippon Airways.

“We’re expanding, as some people would say, too fast, in terms of network expansion,” Sam said.

Last year, PAL added five new routes including New York, Port Moresby, and Auckland. This year, PAL is expanding to seven new routes. They are also planning to buy six more long-haul aircrafts.

Torres commended the future contribution of PAL’s service to the CNMI’s tourism industry as well as medical referral needs.

“Just having the direct flight, the services that you have, it helps the government as well as our medical referral patients,” Torres said.

Torres mentioned that they are also contemplating of opening a Marianas Visitors Authority and medical referral offices in the Philippines.

“We are looking into that. We have a medical referral program, currently we have a private entity who deals with the transportation. This is a great opportunity for us to work with Philippine Airlines to see what is the cost analysis for us to have an official MVA office in the Philippines as well as combining that with the Medical Referral Program to better serve our constituents,” Torres said.

With its inaugural flight on June 15, PAL will be offering twice weekly full-service flights departing Manila every Wednesday and Sunday at 9:20pm and arrives on Saipan at 3:35am local time the following day using Airbus A-320. Flights will depart Saipan every Thursday and Monday at 4:35am local time and arrive in Manila at 6:45am.