With easing of travel rules, airlines foresee increased tourist arrivals IN BRIEF

DOT drops ad agency in scandal-ridden video

THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has suspended another contract with ad agency DDB Philippines, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco announced on Tuesday.

This, after the agency terminated its other contract with DDB for a botched tourism video that used stock footage from abroad.

During the budget briefing of DOT, OFW partylist Rep. Marissa del Mar Magsino noted that the DOT had another P124.45 million contract with DDB to provide counseling services for the promotion of Philippine islands as an award-winning destinations and tourism products which was supposed to end on Aug. 31, 2023.

Magsino also noted that there was a P12.99 million contract between DDB Philippines and the Tourism Promotion Board (TPB), a DOTattached agency, for consulting services for the conceptualization and development of meetings, incentive travel, conventions and exhibitions.

“The contract concerning the video has since been terminated,” Frasco told the House Committee on Appropriations.

DBM to submit revisions to Procurement Act

THE Department of Budget Management (DBM) will present next week to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. its proposed amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) as the Senate started to scrutinize the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.

The proposed budget for next year is higher by 9.5 percent compared to this year’s P5.268 trillion appropriation.

During the Senate finance committee briefing on the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), the senators quizzed Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman on the government’s plan to address underspending.

“We don’t have the bill yet, but we have the specific amendments,” Pangandaman said.

Based on the DBM data, Pangandaman said the government’s underspending was pegged at P170.5 billion for the first semester of 2023.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Acuzar sees economic potentials of Pasig River

HOUSING Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar is tasked not only to clean up and implement the full rehabilitation of the historic Pasig River, but also to maximize its economic potentials, and address safe and decent homes for informal settlers along the waterways.

“The issuance of EO 35 is like hitting many birds with one stone. It will trigger huge positive impacts to several sectors like housing, transportation and even tourism,” he said.

The Chief Executive through EO No. 35 designated Acuzar, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development secretary, to head the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD) “The rehabilitation of Pasig River could serve as a catalyst for economic opportunities along its banks from Manila to Pasig City,” Acuzar said.

While the presidential order primarily calls for the full rehabilitation of Pasig River waterways, its implementation would also secure the safety of thousands of the informal settler families living along the riverbanks, promote mixed-use development and tourism to trigger economic opportunities, he stressed. Rio N. Araja

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Rey E. Requejo

DOMESTIC airlines foresee an increase in international tourist arrival with the removal of the vaccine certificate requirement for inbound foreign travelers.

In the same breath, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that 2023 Bar examinees are no longer required to present negative COVID-19 test results.

“We welcome this development that further eases travel to the Philippines and helps boost inbound tourist traffic. We look forward to serving more tourist and business travelers on both our international and domestic travel sectors,” Philippine Airlines (PAL) spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said.

“We will continue to work on enhancing the passenger experience through digital transformation and

FORMER BROADCASTER GETS ON WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW.

This photo provided by the National Bureau of Investigation shows former TV host Jay Sonza as a person deprived of liberty at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas following his arrest July 18 for alleged estafa and large-scale illegal recruitment. Bureau of Jail Management and Penology spokesperson Jayrex Joseph Bustinera said Sonza was remanded to their custody by the NBI last August 3.

fleet expansion,” she added.

Department of Health (DOH) Circular 2023-06 which covers all airports and seaports in the country states that “all arriving international travelers are accepted regardless of their vaccination status”.

This circular followed the Transportation Department’s earlier announcement on the scrapping of face masks for public transportation.

“Since the pandemic, the vaccine certificate has been the most essential travel requirement for inbound tourists. The lifting of this travel requirement is a major step towards making travel more seamless and will definitely encourage travelers, regardless of vaccination status, to experience the Philippines,” Steve Dailisan, AirAsia Philippines head for Communications and Public Affairs said.

“This is also very timely now that we are a few days away from welcoming the so-called “ber” months, the usual peak of travel in the Philippines,” he added.

AirAsia Philippines’ marketing analytics team noted the period spanning January 1 to August 13, 2023, posted Koreans as the leading nationality among visitors, comprising 13 percent. They were followed by the Japanese at seven percent, Chinese at six percent, Taiwanese at three percent, and a mixture of Americans and other nationalities constituting 22 percent. Noteworthy destinations during this period included Cebu, Caticlan (Boracay), Davao, Iloilo, and Tacloban.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set a target of 4.8 million international tourist arrivals for 2023. The World’s Best Low-Cost Airline aims to contribute to this target through its best services backed by best value deals for flights and other travel-led services on the airasia Superapp.

“Examinees are not required to present negative RT-PCR or antigen test results as a prerequisite for entry into their LTC,” the SC through the Office of the 2023 Bar chair said, in the latest Bar Bulletin No. 6-2023.

“While also not required, examinees are highly encouraged to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” it stressed.

Nonetheless, the SC said examinees who manifest symptoms during the security process or during the examinations will be assessed by the medical staff.

The examinees may be placed in isolated testing rooms, where they will be allowed to continue taking the test.

Former broadcaster Jay Sonza arrested for alleged large-scale illegal recruitment

FORMER broadcaster Jay Sonza has been arrested for alleged syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed on Tuesday.

NBI assistant director Glenn Ricarte revealed that Sonza was turned over to their custody after he was temporarily detained and arrested by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) last July 18, 2023.

Ricarte said Sonza was about to board a flight to Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 when he was interviewed by immigration officials.

Sonza was prevented from leaving the country when the BI found a pending estafa case against him.

OTS traces long queues at NAIA to increased flights, passengers

By Joel E. Zurbano

PASSENGERS at the Ninoy Aquino

International Airport (NAIA) have experienced long queues due to the recent increase in flights and passenger traffic, according to the Office for Transportation Security (OTS).

The OTS made the statement in reaction to a recent study naming NAIA as among the worst airports in Asia due to passengers forced to wait in long lines.

“Based on our security screening procedures, we aim to process each passenger within a maximum of 1.5 minutes. However, this may vary depending on whether or not the passenger is carrying any prohibited items in their person or luggage,” said OTS spokesperson Kim Marquez. Marquez said NAIA security screening procedures are aligned with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards.

“We can say that it is the same procedures implemented by other member states around the world. The queuing at our airports is affected by the number of passengers traveling at any given time such as in the case of NAIA,” Marquez said.

Based on the study by vacation rental management firm Casago, NAIA ranked 8th among the 10 worst airports while Singapore’s Changi International Airport, on the other hand, is considered the world’s best in giving a smooth experience to passengers.

“It is true that queuing at airports can be affected by the number of passengers traveling at any given time, as we have experienced at NAIA due to the recent increase in flights and passenger traffic,” Marquez said.

The BI eventually detained him when an active warrant for syndicated and large-scale illegal recruitment was discovered against him.

He was transferred to the NBI’s custody and later turned over to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Ricarte added that Sonza was already in touch with his lawyer when he was detained by the Bureau of Immigration. He was advised about his legal options, given that he could not post bail for syndicated or large scale illegal recruitment.