travel news review

12 April '99
Philippine Airlines (PAL) have resumed a daily service between Cebu and Iloilo, and more daily services between Cebu and Davao, and Cubi and Bacolod. PAL has resumed flights five times a week to the Cotabato area via Awang Airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat.

19 March '99
Hundreds of serious adventurers will set out on a unique race across the rugged terrain of the island of Samar. Using means such as traditional Filipino boats and rafts, as well as mountain bikes, hang gliders and scuba gear, the adventurers will navigate rivers, cross seas, explore caves and jungles, scale mountains and visit villages. Starting 15 April, the course will take them across Samar, Leyte Island and Biliran, but exact itineraries are not known until 24 hours before the race.

This massive ecotourism event is the 'Elf Authentic Adventure' competition, which contains the unique component of an exchange project. Each team must carry out a project relating to artistic, cultural or scientific aspects of the host country, such as exhibiting local art or building a community church. Many onlookers, press and visitors are expected as well as the teams participating in the three adventure categories. Teams of seven include four participants and three logistic support crew, and must include two women, at least one participating in the course. The registration fee is US$7535.

15 March '99
The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has launched 'Operation Smile', a project to ensure that people receive polite and friendly service from immigration officers. Foreigners and Filipinos dealing with the BI should benefit from the improved services that are part of the refurbished agency.

After talks with Philippine Airlines executives, Filipino tourism authorities have agreed to the development of a popular tourist development similar to Bali or Phuket. Currently, popular areas like Boracay and Samal are not easily accessible by air or lack the tourist infrastructure to sustain a huge tourist influx.

22 February '98
New airports will shortly open on the islands of Camotes and Bantayan in the Visayas allowing for more travel possibilities and increased economic development on the islands. Recently new rural airports opened in Coron, Palawan and Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.

27 January '98
Tourist police in Manila will shortly be assisted by pushbike riding volunteers who will patrol Manila's most popular tourist areas. The volunteers will mostly be around Itramuros and Rizal Park and the tourist sections of Malate and Ermita. The pushbike patrols will be in these areas each day from 9am to 9pm and can be identified by their black and white uniform. As one of the scams that goes on in Manila is the "fake police" scam - locals with fake police badges who cruise tourist areas and are very good at taking your money - look carefully not only at these bike riding volunteers identification, check out their quads as well.

28 December '98
If you're planning on taking part in holiday revelry in the Philippines, be extra wary of stray bullets and fire-crackers. In early New Year celebrations 10 people have already been hit by stray bullets and 156 more have been injured by firecrackers, according to the Department of Health. Extra police and traffic forces will be deployed on New Year's Eve to uphold the peace

14 December '98
Philippine Airlines (PAL) believes it may get back in the skies without financial assistance from either Northwest Airlines or Cathay Pacific. Five government-backed financial institutions have announced they will attempt to raise some of the capital needed to get the airline flying again. Negotiations between PAL, Cathay Pacific and Northwest Airlines have been abandoned as agreement between the airlines appears impossible.

21 October '98
Typhoon Zeb has now swept over three countries, killing more than 100 people and causing untold destruction. Last week more than 80 people died in the Philippines when Typhoon Zeb hit the northern islands, causing floods and landslides that swept away flimsy homes. Over 30,000 people were evacuated and thousands of hectares of rice paddies were destroyed. Zeb reached 'super typhoon' status at its peak, with winds measured at over 241 kph (150mph). In Taiwan the typhoon caused further damage and domestic flights to Kaohsiung and nearby islands were cancelled. Zeb has been the first typhoon to hit Japan in eight years, and it struck on the weekend, causing hundreds of landslides and killing at least 10 people. Its typhoon status has since eased into a tropical storm.

19 October '98
Philippine Airlines says it will resume business this week. In the next installment of the Philippine Airlines soap opera, the company has settled on a rehabilitation plan. The airline was forced into bankruptcy two weeks ago when airline unions rejected this deal.

12 October '98
While last week it was certain that Philippines Airlines (PAL) had been completely shutdown, this week it seems they may fly again. Europe's largest aircraft manufacturer and supplier to PAL, Airbus Industries, has stepped in to assist the failed airline. Airbus Industries has approached the firms which have leased planes to PAL and their creditors, asking them to allow PAL some chance to get flying again. PAL has submitted a management plan, which includes reducing their fleet from 54 planes to 22, to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

30 September '98
The Hong Kong airline, Cathay Pacific, has taken over domestic air routes previously operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL) . Philippine Airlines ceased operations on 24 September despite many last minute bids to keep the airline flying. Singapore Airlines, the only airline other than Philippine Airlines to offer a direct flight between Manila and Singapore, quickly responded to the collapse of the airline by doubling its fare from Singapore to Manila and withdrawing all excursion and special fares between the two countries. On top of the airline crisis in the Philippines comes more transport chaos for residents and travellers with the announcement that seven ferries operated by the same company as the Princess of the Orient, which sank on 18 September, are to be suspended. The ferries will undergo government authorised safety checks before they can resume transport services.

25 September '98
The Philippine national carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), officially ceased operations at midnight 24 September. A last minute bid to save the airline failed when PAL workers refused to accept a management recovery plan for the airline.

The domestic airline Air Philippines has taken over some of the routes, using borrowed planes, previously operated by Philippine Airlines. But many parts of the Philippines remain without air services.

A number of airlines, including Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific have expressed an interest in taking over the airline.

14 September '98
Philippines Health officials in Manila have advised of a number of new dengue fever hot spots in the Philippines. San Pablo City, Legaspi City and Camarines Norte Province, all on the island of Luzon, have been identified as new areas of high dengue fever risk. The disease can be fatal if not treated and more than 202 people have died from dengue fever this year in the Philippines.

There is no preventative drug available for this mosquito-spread disease. A sudden onset of fever, headaches and severe joint and muscle pains are the first signs before a rash develops. Recovering from dengue fever takes weeks, and the after-effects may linger for a lot longer. As there is no prophylactic for dengue fever, the best policy is to cover up at all times (mosquitoes carrying this disease bite during the day), wear repellant, use a mosquito net and avoid wearing perfumes.

31 August '98
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will shortly resume flights to Australia, Asia and the Middle East after months of uncertainty for the airline. A series of strikes by PAL pilots and ground crew combined with the regional economic crisis almost completely grounded the airline earlier this year. Flights within Asia are expected to resume next month and the resumption of services to Australia and the Middle East are planned for November.

15 April '98
Emergency food supplies have been sent to the southern Philippines island of Mindanao which is experiencing food shortages because of severe drought. The Red Cross is distributing rice and other food to more than 1 million people on Mindanao, the second largest of the Philippine islands.

18 March '98
The US Embassy in Manila has issued a warning for travellers in the Philippines. The Embassy has received information that the area between Tanay and Sinoloan in Rizal Province may be subject to insurgent activity in the near future. The area is east of Laguna de Bay and is a major route for travellers returning from southern Luzon. Travellers are advised to exercise extreme caution in the area for the next month.