The Department of Transportation (DOTr)announced a collaborative effort with Philippine Airlines (PAL) to significantly reduce airfare to Siargao, a move aimed at making the popular surfing destination more accessible to both local and international tourists.
The initiative is in direct response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to make domestic travel more affordable and to encourage tourism in key destinations across the country. Through ongoing dialogues with PAL, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez confirmed that an agreement is in place to lower the one-way airfare from the current P17,500 to P11,000.
“For Siargao, there is already an agreement with PAL—that hopefully we can implement it in the coming days that will be reduced from 17,500 to P11,000 [the airfare],” said Acting Secretary Lopez during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on the DOTr budget.
Secretary Lopez added that the DOTr is seeking a further reduction in the P11,000 fare to make Siargao even more affordable for tourists and Filipinos.
In a related development, the DOTr, in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), is studying a plan to extend the runway at Siargao Airport. This extension would enable the airport to accommodate larger aircraft, increasing passenger capacity and further contributing to a reduction in air travel costs.
