Execs debunk claim PAL labor row has affected tuna industry
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Contrary to the claim of a tourism industry official, the labor row at Philippine Airlines may have caused PAL flight cancellations and delays but has not affected the local tuna industry at all, industry players said Thursday.
Recently, Jaime Cura, vice president of the private-sector-led Tourism Congress, told reporters in Manila that the tuna industry was losing around P50 million per day because of the PAL labor problem.
But tuna industry players here said that claim was baseless. Six out of the seven tuna canning plants in the country are located here and they continue to do business because there are available options, industry officials said.
Roger Lim, chief executive officer of the Gensan Aqua Traders, told reporters that PAL had long ceased to be a monopoly and other airlines were available to service their transport needs. Besides, another official said, most of the tuna is transported by ships, not planes.
“We load our products on Cebu Pacific flights, so we are hardly affected by the cancellation of PAL flights,” John Heitz, Gensan Aqua Traders manager, said.
Cebu Pacific flies to Manila twice a day and to Cebu once daily.
From either points, Heitz said that Gensan Aqua Traders can send its fresh tuna products to Japan, Europe and the United States – its main markets.
Mariano Fernandez, president of the Tuna Canners Association of General Santos, told the Inquirer that as far as processed tuna companies were concerned, planes have no major role in their business.
“Tuna canners are not affected (by the PAL problem) because we use sea vessels in bringing our products abroad,” Fernandez said.
Officials had said earlier that most of the tuna industry’s current problems were related to low tuna catches related to overfishing and climate change, and high cost of fuel for their fishing fleets.
