House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan welcomed the decision of Philippine Airlines (PAL) to operate an additional weekly Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flight every Wednesday, starting Sept. 18, 2024.
“We are delighted that the flag carrier is increasing the frequency of its Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flights to thrice weekly, as this will give a boost to Eastern Samar as a tourism gateway,” Libanan said in a statement on Sunday.
Borongan City is the capital of Eastern Samar, the lawmaker’s home province, which is a rapidly growing tourist destination, particularly among foreign and local surfing enthusiasts and nature lovers.
The Borongan Airport is now undergoing aviation infrastructure upgrades and ready to accommodate more flights, Libanan said. “In fact, Congress allocated P200 million in capital outlay to build up the Borongan Airport. This is itemized in the 2024 General Appropriations Law,” he added.
Libanan represented Eastern Samar’s lone district in Congress for nine years from 1998 to 2007, and served as provincial vice governor from 1992 to 1995.
In a recent travel advisory, PAL said it “will operate an additional weekly Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flight every Wednesday, beginning Sept. 18, 2024.”
Based on the flag carrier’s updated schedule, it will now operate three Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flights every week, or one flight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The flag carrier is currently the only airline that offers a convenient one-stop connection to Borongan from Manila, as PAL flights from Manila to Cebu enable travelers to hop on to the Cebu-Borongan service for their onward journey.
All Cebu-Borongan flights are scheduled to depart at 11:05 a.m. and arrive at 12:00 p.m., while all Borongan-Cebu flights are scheduled to depart at 12:30 p.m. and arrive at 1:20 p.m.
PAL first launched its twice weekly Cebu-Borongan-Cebu flights on Dec. 19, 2022.
