Travel and Tourism

The Department of Public Works and Highways, together with Metro Manila Development Authority and Department of Transportation, are rushing preparations for the implementation of the long-anticipated EDSA Rehabilitation Project.  According to DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, the rehabilitation aims to lessen the ongoing issue with the repeated re-blocking of EDSA over the years as frequent repairs or patchwork are being done …

French shipbuilder OCEA signed a contract for the construction and basing support of 40 fast patrol boats for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) – the largest investment by a French shipbuilder in PCG’s maritime security mandate.  These fast patrol craft will be based on OCEA’s FPB 110 MKII design, which comes at 35 meters long and weighs 110 tons. The …

The Aboitiz Group commits to boost Bohol’s transport and tourism sectors after it takes over operations of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA). Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) said Bohol would start to enjoy economic growth once it manages the operations of the BPIA starting June. AIC president and CEO Cosette Canilao said Bohol’s economy is expanding at a pace faster than …

Philippine Airlines (PAL) will receive additional long-range aircraft by the end of this year, enabling the flag carrier to beef up passenger capacity. During a recent stockholders’ meeting, PAL Holdings Inc. president Lucio Tan III, revealed they would start taking deliveries of Airbus A350-1000 units in the latter part of this year. The flag carrier sealed the order for nine …

While expanding its fleet, Cebu Pacific is leasing two of its jets to Saudi Arabian low-cost airline Flyadeal amid a global supply chain crunch that has affected aircraft availability. The two carriers signed the wet-lease agreement for two months—the latter part of June to August—to cater to anticipated summer peak flying season in the Middle Eastern country. This partnership is …

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will immediately resume implementation of the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) after the Supreme Court (SC) partially lifted the restraining order earlier issued against NCAP enforcement. NCAP covers EDSA, C5, Katipunan Avenue, Marcos Highway, Roxas Boulevard, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon Avenue, West Avenue, E. Rodriguez Avenue, and Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue. The MMDA had petitioned …

EDSA’s tumultuous traffic will definitely worsen when government commences a total rebuild of Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare starting mid-June, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon explained the long-overdue rehabilitation of EDSA. “Kailangan simulan na ‘yan kasi nga, sabi nga ng Pangulo, 45 years na bago talagang inayos ang EDSA,” said Dizon. “Ito ang isa sa …

Around 100 to 200 additional buses will be deployed along the EDSA busway during the rebuilding of the country’s major thoroughfare, according to Department of Transport Secretary Vince Dizon. Dizon said: “We added almost 100 [buses] in the busway, and we have plans to add 100 to 200 more in the coming months to provide alternatives to our constituents so …

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) maintained that all 18 elevators of the EDSA busway are operational. The elevators have repeatedly been unusable, with commuters forced to use the stairs or the overpass.  “Sa kabuuan, 18 elevator ang gumagana sa anim na magkakahiwalay na istayon ng busway, para sa mas madaling biyahe sa mga pasahero,” the DOTr said in a statement.  The …

The contractor of the Unified Grand Central Station defended itself after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) formally terminated its contract for the project, with the company claiming the delays in construction were caused by the government’s failure to pay for work that had been completed. The BF Corp. and Foresight Development and Surveying Co. (BF-FDSC) Consortium said the DOTr was …