BLOGGED PHILIPPINES

If you have a Cebu Pacific app, then you might have received a notification saying that Cebu Pacific will hold a 1 - Peso Fare promo or commonly known as Piso Fare promo this evening at 12:00AM, December 24, 2018. This midnight! The details of this promo is not yet out and the best way to find out is to stay late if you can and see for yourself. For the meantime, you can do the following: 1. List down any flights you wanted to book. 2. Check the calendar for 2019 and see the holidays next year. 3. Most importantly, check your budget and see how much you can spend for a holiday trip. By doing the above things, you can prevent yourself from booking unnecessary flights. You can also tune in to www.cebupacificair.com .

Tigerair Taiwan will begin flying directly Cebu to Taipei starting December 1, 2018. This is the airline's response to the steady increase in the demand for flights to Taiwan. The initial schedule for flights is every Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. You can book your tickets at www.tigerairtw.com . Screenshot of Tigerair Taiwan website. With this new route, Tiger Air Taiwan will compete with Philippines' largest airline, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines. The three will utilize the newly-opened Terminal 2 of Mactan-Cebu International Airport. No Visa Policy Until July 31, 2019 The increase in demand for Taiwan fights is undoubtedly influenced by the relaxed visa policy of Taiwan for Philippine passport holders. Filipino visitors are allowed visa-free entry to Taiwan if they will only stay there up to 14 days. This experimental policy was implemented starting November 1, 2017 and was initially set to expire July 31, 2018. After that period of evaluat...

Cebu Pacific is about to reveal another edition of their famous PISO FARE seat sale promo this midnight. While there's not yet details as to the travel period, you may now start planning your trips late this year up to next year. Cebu Pacific 1 Peso Base Fare on ALL destinations About Piso Fare Piso Fare is the brainchild of Cebu Pacific, once an unknown airline more than a decade ago, now the largest Philippine airline company flying Filipinos domestically and directly to Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Piso Fare is initially a literal one-peso all-in fare promo. I remember in 2009, I flew from Cebu to Manila for just  one peso and all I need to pay is the bag and the terminal fee. Recently through, Piso Fare came to be just the base fare. The taxes, admin fees, terminal fees can add up pretty quickly and the all-in fare without baggage can be jabout 1000 pesos. But still, that's a significantly lower fare compared to regular ones. Update on Details As ...

Good news everyone! AirAsia Philippines announces a new promo offering as low as 16 Pesos all-in fare on selected domestic destinations. International routes are also part of this sale though. The travel period is from February 18 to November 26, 2019. You can book your tickets online at www.airasia.com or via your AirAsia mobile app until September 8, 2018. Screenshot of AirAsia's Promo poster Travel From Clark If you want to fly really cheap, then Clark is the hub of choice. AirAsia and Cebu Pacific has been increasing their presence in this airport. It's been here for quite sometime but it was not being utilized compared to NAIA in Manila. AirAsia use to fly here but at one point they pulled out their operation. Now they're back and in this seat sale, you'll get a really nice deal.

Cebu Pacific announces a new promo offering as low as 199 pesos base fare on selected destinations, particularly several Cebu routes. The lowest fare is from Cebu to Tacloban or Kalibo but promo fares are also offered in other destinations such as Tandag, Davao and Iloilo. The fares for flights to China via Xiamen, Hong Kong and Shanghai were also discounted significantly. The travel period is from October 15, 2018 - January 31, 2019 for domestic and October 26, 2018 - January 31, 2019 for international flights. Promo is open until August 31, 2018 or until promo seats last. The complete list of promo fares can be seen in this link: https://www.cebupacificair.com/pages/seat-sale-promo Tickets can be purchased online via www.cebupacificair.com or via their ticketing office. No Credit Card? No Problem The biggest concern for many who wanted to avail of the promo fares is the absence of a credit card. While it's true that credit card payment is the best option out ...

Philippine Airlines followed suit with a major competitor and announces their own version of a 199 Pesos seat sale promo. Yes, for as low as 199 pesos you can fly to selected domestic and international destinations on this travel period: September 16 , 2018 to March 31, 2019. The promo poster screenshot is shown below taken from PAL's website. The promo is up until September 2 or until seats under this promo are all taken. So, basically you have a week to book. But of course, promo fares on "good dates" like weekends or holidays are easily sold out. So there's a reasonable degree of urgency on this matter. Bu the way, you can book your tickets online at www.philippineairlines.com or at any PAL ticketing office. Since they're close tonight, it's best to book online NOW. For a complete detailed list of how much per destination and specific travel dates, you can visit this page. https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/promotions/ultimateseatsale-PH Base...

Cebu Pacific announces a new set of promo fares to selected domestic and international destinations. The promo base fare is as low as 199 pesos. Coupled with other fees, the all-in fare will be around 900 pesos inclusive of the terminal fee. The domestic travel period is from September 1 to December 16, 2018.  For international flights, the travel period is  February 1 to June 30, 2019. Cebu pacific's 199 Pesos Promo You can book your tickets online at www.cebupacificair.com or at any Cebu Pacific ticketing office. This promo is up until August 26, 2018 or until promo seats last. Back to Base Fare Display Cebu Pacific is once again back to displaying base fares instead of all-in fares which they used to do in a couple of years past. While reason is not stated, it's possible that the rising prices of terminal fees and other administrative charges may have some contribution. For example, in this 199 Pesos promo from Cebu to Tacloban, the cost of terminal fee in C...

UPDATE: This promo is extended until August 24, 2018! Philippine Airlines (PAL)  announces a new promo offering as low as 488 pesos base fare on select destination. The travel period is from September 1-30, 2018. Both domestic and international destinations are on sale.  The booking period is from August 10 to 17, 2018 or until promo seats last. You can book your ticket at the PAL's website or visit any PAL ticketing offices nearest you. Here’s a screenshot of the promo poster taken from PAL’s website. The complete list of destinations can be found here. https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/promotions/SeptemberMadnessSale-PH Recommended Place to Visit This month of September, I would like to recommend the following destinations: Taiwan It will not require a huge budget. Taiwan is cheaper than other typical Asian destinations such as Singapore, Japan or South Korea. And all the more you should visit the country, because of the no visa policy . They recently ex...

Yes, it's not Piso Fair but it's Piso PAIR. Buy one ticket for 99 pesos and get the other one for the same route at 1 Peso . This is the latest promo announced by Cebu Pacific. Promo period is until tomorrow, July 17, 2018. The travel period is from January to June 2019 . If you have plans of travelling next year, then it's high time to book your flights. Cebu Pacific's latest promo is entitled PISO PAIR When you book using the website or through mobile app, use the promo code PISOPAIR. Cebu Pacific is the largest carrier in the country. In addition to domestic routes, it also offers direct flight to many Asian destinations as well as to Australia and Middle East. NEW: Experience Terminal 2 of Mactan-Cebu International Airport On July 1 this year, the much awaited and anticipated opening of the second terminal of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) finally happened. The team up of GMR and Megawide has successfully constructed this new facility eff...

About eight years ago when me and my friends were flying from Cebu to Davao, we came across an issue as we pass by the second inspection point in the airport. After my friend’s bag passed through the X-ray machine, an airport officer called her up and confirmed if she’s bringing an umbrella inside the plane cabin. On that day we knew that umbrellas needs to be checked-in. We are not informed of the new policy. In that instance, my friend surrendered her precious umbrella than pay extra baggage for it. Baggage security check in airports. Since then, things have already improved. At some point, checking in your umbrella won’t cost you a dime. And now, the latest as per my experience last month, you can now bring your “foldable” umbrella inside the plane. The prohibition only applies to cane type of umbrella. What I mean are the long “non-foldable” umbrellas. So the next time you fly and are worried you won’t have an umbrella to use in your destination, this information may comfor...

Asia’s first commercial passenger airline, Philippine Airlines announces their latest promo covering both domestic and international flights. For those flying domestically, the offer is as low as 599 pesos base fare on selected destinations. On international flights, the offer is as low as 109 USD for selected destinations. The promo begins July 9 and will be available for booking until July 15 or until promo seats last. The travel period is from July to December 31, 2018. For the complete list of destinations under this promo, please check the link below. https://www.philippineairlines.com/en/promotions/julyseatsale-ph Philippine Ailrines By Konstantin von Wedelstaedt http://www.airliners.net/photo/Philippine-Airlines/Boeing-777-36N-ER/2422638/L/ , GFDL 1.2 , Link No More Free Baggage I'm not when did it start but I think it's late last year that Philippine Airlines began to offer their cheapest domestic fares without baggage allowance. This is in contrast with what...

Maybe it's the pressure from the social media, which was amplified even more when the mainstream media began picking up the story of the outcry from affected people. Whatever the root cause is, you can go ahead now and set an appointment online in select DFA offices in the country. And when I mean now, I mean RIGHT NOW! I just checked the DFA appointment system and there are slots for April 2018 in select DFA Offices in Metro Manila. And here's a thing that's even more interesting, Tacloban DFA has an opening this month January 2018! Wow...whether you care about the alleged corruption inside the DFA or not, you can set it aside and set an appointment now, I mean NOW ! Fully Booked Since mid-December 2017 The DFA Passport appointment system is fully booked until March 2018. It opened up the slots early December last year but just after a week or two, all 27 offices has become fully booked. This sparked outrage among citizens. Reports have emerged that while th...

All the passport appointment slots on all 27 branches of DFA is already filled up (or blocked?). Yes, you can check it out at  https://www.passport.gov.ph/appointment/individual/site . The only time I saw it opened up was the first week of December 2017. Then after a few weeks, all slots were already taken. So earlier this month, I had a chance to visit Cebu DFA and I asked if there's a way to get my passport processed even though the slots were already taken. Like, walk-in in the afternoon after all the passport appointments have already been accommodated. After all, DFA Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano mentioned that there's about 40% no-show on the appointments , so I was thinking that there must be some extra time the DFA can accommodate walk-ins. Turns out.. no...you really need an appointment . But wait, here's something you would like to know. So, when I arrived at Cebu DFA, I asked the guard. What I discovered made me feel confused (and suspicious). Here's wha...

The OAG, an air travel intelligence company based in United Kingdom, in its annual report listed Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines as some of the world's least punctual airline. Garnering only 57.6% and 58% OTP respectively, the two airlines based here in the Philippines was among the worst in the world. OTP (on time performance) refers to flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Image by  Jyi1693 at en.wikipedia [ CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons Punctuality Culture On the other hand, some of the world's most punctual airlines are in Japan, with Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways taking the top two spots with 85.27 amd 83.81% OTP. This result may not be surprising when you consider their culture. Japan is well known for being a process oriented and strict in punctuality country. For instance, late last year, Japan’s Tsukuba Express, a train that connects Tokyo and Tsukuba issued an apology for a train that departed the station 20 secon...

Bad news for those who needs to have a passport or have their passport renewed. All branches of Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), yes all 27, have already filled up all the slots in their appointment system until the end of March. If for some reason you were not able to set an appointment last month December, you will need to wait until April to be able to process a passport. The Problem with the Current Appointment System The online appointment system implemented by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is surely a big help in convenience. Prior to this, passport applicants line up in DFA offices as early as in the wee hours of 12 midnight. By six in the morning, a DFA personnel, usually a security guard, will distribute priority numbers. The process will go smoothly from then on. Once you started the first step and as long as you have all the requirements complete, you'll finish in about 15 minutes. A few weeks later, you'll have your passport. The same is true ...

Cathay Pacific and Citibank offers discounted fares to international travel next year. The promo slashes international fares of flights from Cebu to as low as 175 USD round trip exclusive of taxes and other charges. Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag carrier airline The travel period is from February 1 to August 31, 2018 while the promo period starts November 27 and will be open until December 3, 2017 subject to the availability of promo fares.Additional information such as the list of destinations and their corresponding discounted fares under this promo can be found in this link  -  https://www.citibank.com.ph/global_docs/pdf/TCs_CX_November_Holiday_Sale.pdf Tickets can be booked online using this link bit.ly/CITISALECEB or via phone using these numbers  1800-1441-1011 (PLDT/Smart) 1800-8739-5117 (Globe) or at Cathay Pacific ticketing offices. *Note that promo is only valid if you book/pay using a Citibank Credit card. Also, it i...

Asia's first commercial airline, Philippine Airlines (PAL) announces their latest seat sale offering as much as 70% discount in both domestic and international flights. The travel period is from January 16 to September 30, 2018. Promo runs from today until November 26. The tickets can be purchased online at www.philippineairlines.com . Travel Destinations  There are many destinations you can go to with the promo mentioned above. But I would like to suggest some that are especially nice to visit during the travel period of this promo. Japan - for the Cherry Blossoms Starting March up to end of April, the Sakura or the cherry blossoms of pink flowers will bloom once again delighting both local Japanese and the thousands of tourists who visits Japan annually just to see this beautiful scene. The promo period of this Philippine Airlines promo covers the Sakura bloom season so maybe it's your chance to see this natural beauty. The beautiful Cherry Blossoms...

Aside from the typical island tour in Bohol where you'll visit the Chocolate hills and check out the small primates called Tarsiers, there are other activities you can add to your itinerary. One of those is island hopping. Here's three islands you can visit in that activity Panglao The island hopping actually begins in Panglao island, the biggest land mass close to Bohol. While you won't need a boat to reach it, you still need to cross any of the two causeways connecting it to the mainland Bohol. Panglao is home to many interesting spots. The Alona beach in particular is the most famous among tourists. It's Bohol's own version of Boracay albeit the white sand shore is narrower than Bora. The Alona beach. Fine white sand and palm trees. From Alona beach you can rent for a boat and diving gear. You can also rent a boat to go and watch for dolphins early in the day. The boat costs 1500 to 2000 Pesos. Balicasag Balicasag is another interesting i...

Aside from Durian and Duterte, there's more in Davao to be interested with. As you may already knew, the Philippines was blessed with many natural wonders. Some of them I have written articles in the past. But going back to Davao, let's take a closer look in the Island Garden City of Samal. Here are four places you can go to if you want to spend a day in that island. The Montfort Bat Sanctuary Monfort Cave with over two million bats. This is a 245-ft cave that serves as home to about 2.3 Million fruit bats. When you go there during the day you can see them hanging in the walls and ceiling of the cave... and sleeping. But when you go there late in the afternoon or dusk, you may be treated with a beautiful sight: bats coming of the cave in tornado-like formation...2.3 Millions of them. Oh by the way, entrance is to the Monfort Bat Sanctuary costs 100 Pesos per person. You will be greeted by a tour guide who has some knowledge about bats and the cave. Pearl ...

Citibank and Philippine Airlines (PAL) teamed up to give Citibank Philippines card holders a massive discount on their flight fares early next year. The discount is up to 40% of the round trip fare to some of PAL's international destinations including Japan, London, Los Angeles and New York. Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-300 plane.  Image by  Kentaro Iemoto  from Tokyo, Japan -  Philippines A330-300(RP-C3340) ,  CC BY-SA 2.0 ,  Link