THINGS are looking good for the Philippine economy, with growth predicted in almost every sector.
Tourism was a big winner last year, and it has continued to ramp up revenues during the first half of the year, and as the "ber" months leading to Christmas ring the bells announcing the travel season are almost here, local and international tourism are again first in the line of good blessings.
Another piece of good news has come our way---this time, from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The agency announced that it has agreed to downgrade the fuel surcharge from the current Level 6 to Level 5 effective next month, September.
Fuel surcharges are additional fees collected by airlines to help them recover fuel costs. These are separate from the base fare, which is the actual amount paid by the passenger for each seat.
This downgrade on fuel surcharge should decrease the prices of plane tickets both in domestic and international flights, thus easing the burden on frequent flyers and tourists.
Under Level 5, airlines are allowed to collect fuel surcharges of P151 to P542 for domestic flights while those flying outside the country will charge an additional P498.03 to P3,703.11 each.
These amounts are lower compared with Level 6 rates, which range from P185 to P665 for domestic routes and P610.37 to P4,538.40 for international flights.
Many airline passengers are just interested in the final price of the ticket, without even bothering on how much exactly is the fuel surcharge added to the base fare.
For those interested, however, here are some examples of the new fuel surcharges to be implemented by airlines next month.
Flights from Manila to Caticlan, Legazpi, Kalibo and Roxas, P238 while those going to Iloilo, Cebu, Bacolod, and Puerto Princesa will pay P316.
The new surcharges for flights to Dumaguete, Tagbilaran, Surigao and Siargao will be P418 while flights to Zamboanga, Cotabato and Davao will have P487.
Passengers going to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Vietnam will pay an additional P498.03 while those flying to China will be charged P676.20.
Rounding out the list of new fuel surcharges are P688.79 for Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea will have P774.75; Australia and the Middle East, P1,713.68, and New Zealand and Honolulu, P2,163.32.
For sure, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco welcomes the CAB's newest move to prune the amount of fuel surchages as this will decrease the prices of plane tickets.
She would be happier, though, if the airlines hasten their plans to launch new routes in the Philippines and abroad, together with the the acquisition of new aircraft to increase their passenger capacity.
Making travel more affordable to more and more Filipinos is one of the goals of the Bongbong Marcos administration. With one positive development following another in quick succession, the Department of Tourism (DOT) under Frasco is always on its toes to make the most of every opportunity for growth.
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There are many Filipinos, even those who are astute and politically informed, who are not aware that the House of Representatives has a "Quad" committee, and this panel is one of the more active committees in the chamber. The megapanel fuses together four House committees — dangerous drugs, public order and safety, human rights and public accounts — to investigate the connection between POGOs and the illegal drug trade. Part of the inquiry will also touch on the alleged collusion between public officials and Chinese nationals to acquire properties to be used for illegal POGOs.
In the Quad committee's out-of-town meeting in Bacolor, Pampanga, the lawmakers were informed by officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that more than 2,300 Chinese nationals have been repatriated from the Philippines over issues related to illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) since 2022.
From 2022 to 2024, at least 2,379 Chinese nationals have been deported, around half or 1,207 of whom were asked to leave the country in connection to their employment at POGO hubs. "But there were also Chinese nationals who were sent home because they were categorized as victims," said Homer Arellano, head of the Bureau of Immigration prosecution and legal assistance section.
While Rep. Bonifacio Bosita (1-Rider Partylist) is interested on the exact number of Chinese nationals involved in illegal POGOs currently in its custody, Rep. Robert Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District), chair of the House dangerous drugs committee, said that the mega-panel's investigation seeks to build on the committees' earlier findings on the "well-organized syndicate" that has "[flooded] the country with dangerous drugs in probable connivance with corrupt officials.
" "POGOs, introduced under the guise of generating much-needed revenue, have instead revealed themselves as a curse, becoming gateways for syndicate members to enter the country as legitimate visitors, investors, or even citizens," Barbers said. The proliferation of POGOs have been made possible by the "countless agencies that issue visas and permits for a price, allowing these criminals to operate freely and with the protection of certain members of our own law enforcement agencies," the lawmaker added.
Days after President Bongbong Marcos announced the ban on POGOs in his State of the Nation Address, the nation is still fixated on this gambling industry. It is the hope of many that PAGCOR would be able to comply with the President's directive to phase out all POGOs by the end of the year.
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