Philippine Airlines (PAL) will soon host the first-ever direct flights within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)—seen to boost tourism and related activities in a region that was once a bottom-dweller in economic growth.
Beginning June 9, the flag carrier said its Cotabato-Tawi-Tawi-Cotabato route would operate twice a week. The travel gateways for the new service are Cotabato’s Awang Airport and Tawi-Tawi’s Sanga-Sanga Airport.
PAL said that the Airbus 320 aircraft would fly the passengers between locations, offering business class and economy seating.
The nonstop flight offering between Cotabato and Tawi-Tawi is seen cutting travel hours with the elimination of connecting flights or overnight stops.
By land and/or sea, it would take the whole day to travel. Sans a direct flight, it would take nearly 46 hours to fly between the two provinces as passengers have to pass through Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Zamboanga International Airport before arriving at Sanga-Sanga Airport.
“We are honored to make history by operating the first flight within the new Bangsamoro region, giving us a new opportunity to serve its 4.9 million people,” PAL president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng said.
Support tourism industry
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim welcomed the development, noting it could support the tourism industry of the region. “We have high hopes for success, and we will do all possible to support this historic venture for the benefit of our constituents,” he added.
The autonomous region in the southern part of the Philippines was established after years of peace talks between the government and autonomist groups as the latter sought for a “region with more powers devolved from the national government.” This was a culmination of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which was signed by President Duterte in 2018.
BARMM recorded the second-fastest growth among 17 regions in 2021, with its economy expanding by 7.5 percent, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. It recorded a -1.9 percent gross regional domestic product the previous year.
Peace, momentum
“This demonstrates again that we are now waving the dividend of peace and we must keep the momentum as we are going for the BARMM advancement program, aimed at accelerating the socioeconomic recovery and sustaining progress toward poverty reduction and economic growth,” Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority Director General Mohajirin Ali said, as quoted in bangsamoro.gov.ph.
Meanwhile, the flag carrier said it was expanding flight services for Mindanao destinations. It also currently operates daily flights between Manila and Cotabato City.
For the first quarter, PAL recorded an operating income of P1.7 billion, which was a reversal from losses of P5.3 billion in the same period last year. Net comprehensive income, meanwhile, was at P1.2 billion in the first quarter.
Total revenues in the first three months reached P24 billion, supported by passenger and cargo revenues which grew by 201 percent and 72 percent, respectively.
PAL hopes to fully restore its domestic network capacity to prepandemic level this year amid easing mobility restrictions. In addition, the airline said it would add international flights as borders further reopen.