Boracay top Holy Week destination
BY MICHAEL PUNONGBAYAN

HOLY WEEK IN BORA. Local and foreign tourists enjoyed the pristine white sand beaches and nightlife of the island resort of Boracay during the observance of Holy Week (BRZabal)

BORACAY - The resort island of Boracay ranked first among the top domestic destinations for local tourists during the Holy Week, followed by Cebu and Bohol. Internationally, Hong Kong proved to be the fastest and nearest place to go for those seeking to leave the country for a short vacation.

Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager for security and emergency services Angel Atutubo said Cebu came in second to Boracay while Bohol came in third.

According to him, Boracay, with its white sands, was the most popular local tourist destination for Filipinos dreaming of an island getaway. Cebu and Bohol, he added, were also among the favorites because of the beautiful beaches, historical scenery and seafood that are plentiful in these two provinces.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Immigration Office chief Ferdinand Sampol said that Singapore and Thailand came in second and third to Hong Kong.

"There is no visa requirement in going to these regional destinations and these countries don’t observe Holy Week since a majority are non-Christians," he said.

MIAA officials reported a high percentage of increase in domestic passenger and flight traffic during this year’s Holy Week break.

They also took pride in announcing the success of Oplan Mahal na Araw, which ensured hassle-free travel for passengers heading to local destinations. "We are very happy to note that domestic tourism is continuously increasing, proof that positive efforts by government and the private sector are paying off," MIAA General Manager Alfonso Cusi said.

"All of us shall take this as an opportunity to harmonize our efforts and bring the country to greater achievements."

According to him, during the first three days of Holy Week, the MIAA registered 7,664 passengers for Palm Sunday, 7,782 for Holy Monday and 7,586 for Holy Tuesday. During the same period last year, the Manila Domestic Airport (MDA) reported less daily passenger traffic – 6,641 for Palm Sunday, 6,782 for Holy Monday and 6,236 for Holy Tuesday.

Cusi said that, this year, the NAIA 2 Domestic Terminal registered a total of 20,499 outbound passengers from Palm Sunday to Holy Tuesday, broken down to 7,226 for Palm Sunday, 6,534 for Holy Monday and 7,513 for Holy Tuesday.

Over the same period last year, the NAIA 2 Domestic Terminal posted 5,810 outbound passengers for Palm Sunday, 5,935 for Holy Monday, and, 5,508 for Holy Tuesday.

Cusi said he canceled all the leaves of the MIAA’s frontline personnel to ensure maximum attendance during the Holy Week break.

Police visibility at terminal areas was beefed up and more operations and passenger assistance personnel were deployed to assist passengers.

Additional passenger help desks, police and medical assistance counters were strategically placed around the NAIA terminals.

Undersecretary Elena Bautista, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Chairman for the 2007 Oplan Mahal na Araw, and MIAA Assistant General Managers Octavio Lina and Tirso Serrano and Philippine National Police – Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) chief Senior Superintendent Atilano Morada personally supervised the passenger assistance system the MIAA had set up.

"I commend the MIAA for their readiness and I am glad that we are able to proceed with our passenger servicing in a very orderly manner and with dispatch," Bautista said after the inspection.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) even added one extra flight to Kalibo, Aklan, while Asian Spirit added two extra flights to Caticlan to accommodate the surge of passengers bound for Boracay.