by Lorie Ann A. Cascaro
The Philippine Airlines (PAL) had 13 local and five international flights delayed, and a total of 18 flights cancelled from July 31 to August 2 as a result of the undue resignation of 25 pilots. This concerned President Aquino who addressed the matter to make sure that tourism and travel industries would not be affected.
But, it affected in a way the travel agencies in Davao City. Pia Lourdes Partoza-Montano, president of the Davao Travel Agencies Association (DTAA), said while their clients were monitoring the delays and cancellations of flights through media, “this, somehow, affected their decision as to which airline to take for their future travels.”
However, this does not mean, they will not choose PAL anymore. “The travel agents will remain supportive of PAL in terms of selling their product, but we feel that both parties need to compromise as soon as possible to avoid causing major inconvenience to their clients,” Montano said.
“Philippine Airlines is going through a tough situation, and I sincerely hope that they will be able to resolve this crisis between management and employees,” she said.
Furthermore, there is the possibility of seats being unavailable and of higher rates in other airlines if the situation is not immediately addressed, according to the chairperson of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. “There could be shortage of seats available, which means such players as PAL, CEB, Zest, etc. may decrease their promotion of fares, meaning rates would be higher,” said Robert Quinto.
In a press release on Wednesday, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna announced new flight schedules for three destinations previously affected by cancellations, saying that their flight operations have returned to normal. “PAL’s average 160 domestic and international flights daily continue to operate normally and as scheduled,” Villaluna said. As of press time, only one flight each to Iloilo, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro were discontinued.
There was no mention of any pilot among those who “walked-out” coming from Davao City. Reports say the former pilots violated their employment contracts because they left without the six months or 180 days prior notice. Despite the lack, trainings for new PAL pilots are already going on.
In a press statement on Saturday, Mindanao Tourism Council (MinTC) chairperson, Dindo T. Ilagan, urged PAL management to revisit its labor policies, including compensation packages, and make them almost at par with regional standards. “Not withstanding its need to rake in profit, the management has the social responsibility to ensure the continued provision of public service,” he said.
Mindanao could not bear an addition to the seemingly endless string of problems such as the peace and security, Ilagan said.. “It is crystal clear that the problems confronting the country’s flag carrier will very adversely affect the tourism industry of the island,” he said.
MinTC is also calling on the government to continue provide an environment conducive for the continued provision of such vital public utility, such as the air transportation. “We do not advocate a government takeover of such a huge enterprise. The government alone has its own set of far bigger problems such as peace or lack thereof, corruption and low investor confidence, among others. Besides, the government may not have the technical expertise to run an airline,” Ilagan said.
