CEBU CITY, Philippines – AirPhil Express, the budget-airline arm of Philippine Airlines, has expressed bullishness in the travel market of Cebu by next year that it mulls to increase more international routes out of the province.

Airphil Express Senior Vice President for Marketing and Sales Alfredo Herrera made this announcement following the launching of the Cebu-Singapore-Cebu fight recently.

“The dynamic tourism sector in Cebu pushed the demand for budget-fares in the inter-Asian destinations, and together with the growing number of Filipino Overseas Workers (OFWs), this reinforced the airline's interest to expand overseas,” Herrera said.

 According to Herrera, the company's next international route would be in a country where there are large numbers of Filipinos working or residing. He hinted Hong Kong as the possible second international destination to fly from Cebu.

The Singapore route offering of AirPhil Express is the latest addition to the airline's expansion in the regional market, where it started its seven flights a week from Cebu to Singapore and vice versa. (Malou M. Mozo)

ARMY DENIES WRONGDOING

Iloi lo City, Philippines – The Philippine Army here denied claims it violated human rights during the clash between government troops and the New People’s Army in Pontevedra, Capiz last December 4. “This is just a cheap publicity stunt because of the commemoration of International Human Rights Day,” said 1Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas, spokesman of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID).

Posadas said human rights group Karapatan is “only riding on the issue by claiming that Annie Bangud-Consigo, the woman found with the dead body of an NPA rebel, is a civilian.”

Posadas said, “We found her wounded body besides the dead NPA.”

After the encounter, government troops also recovered several items including a shotgun, an M-16 rifle, .9mm pistol, and several subversive documents. “It has been a common occurrence for Karapatan to show up only when suspected NPA rebels figure in encounters with government troops,” noted Posadas.

“She (Bangued-Consigo) faces suspicion of being a rebel for being in the company of rebels. It is up to her to prove in the court of law and in the court of public opinion of her innocence,” explained Posadas. (Tara Yap)

NEGROS ORIENTAL GEARS UP FOR XMAS

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – To give fun and entertainment this Yuletide season, the provincial government of Negros Oriental is gearing to launch its ‘Pasko sa Sidlakan 2010’ at this city’s Sidlakan Negros Village, a one-stop tourism center in the province.

The village features tourist booths or pavilions for all towns and cities in the whole province where visitors can inquire on the different tourist destination in the province including their native delicacies.

A total of 16 bands in the province will parade in this city’s main streets to compete for the best band during the opening salvo of this year’s Pasko sa Sidlakan.

Meanwhile, one of the big events for the celebration is the Grand Sayawit Festival in which eight participating local government units (LGUs) will perform their customs and traditions through choral and dance production numbers.

The eight LGUs that committed to join the event include this city, Bayawan City, Guihulngan, Pamplona, Amlan, Valencia, Dauin and Canlaon City. (Phoebe Jen Indino)