Iloilo Airport, 12th best in Asia for 2017

Once again, our very own Iloilo International Airport at Cabatuan was voted as one of the best airports in Asia in the 2017 survey.

Travel website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports (www.sleepinginairports.net) recently released their annual best and worst airports lists, and Iloilo International Airport maintained its position at no. 12 in the Top 25 in Asia.

Three other airports in the country is in the list, with Mactan airport at no. 13, Davao airport at no. 17, and Clark airport at no. 22.

Iloilo airport was also at no. 12 last year, and no. 21 in 2015. Changi Airport in Singapore is still the best in Asia and the whole world for overall experience.

The website asked travelers worldwide to rank their airport experience based on the following: Comfort (Gate seating & availability of rest zones), Services, facilities & things to do, Food options, Immigration/Security, Customer service, Cleanliness, Navigation and ease of transit, and Sleepability.

Here's the complete list for Asia's best airports:

Top 25 Airports in Asia

1. Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore (SIN)
2. Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea (ICN)
3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan (HND)
4. Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong (HKG)
5. Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan (NRT)
6. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan (TPE)
7. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand (BKK)
8. Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, India (BOM)
9. New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, India (DEL)
10. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (KUL)
11. Osaka Kansai International Airport, Japan (KIX)
12. Iloilo International Airport, Philippines (ILO)
13. Mactan–Cebu International Airport, Philippines (CEB)
14. Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, India (HYD)
15. Bangalore Bengaluru International Airport, India (BLR)
16. Cochin International Airport, India (COK)
17. Davao Francisco Bangoy International Airport, Philippines (DVO)
18. Karachi Jinnah International Airport, Pakistan (KHI)
19. Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport, Pakistan (LHE)
20. Brunei International Airport, Brunei (BWN)
21. Trivandrum International Airport, India, (TRV)
22. Clark International Airport, Philippines (CRK)
23. Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, Indonesia (DPS)
24. Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Indonesia (CGK)
25. Kolkata Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, India (CCU)

"The best airports in the world are the ones that inspire you to book a trip based on the receiving airport alone. From ultra-efficient processes to friendly staff and a wide array of activities you never thought you’d find in an airport, these airports become a memorable part of any trip," the website stated.

The website also has the worst airports list, and interestingly Ninoy Aquino International Airport is not there anymore after a shoo-in the last few years.

Congratulations to Iloilo airport management and to all proud Ilonggos. It has to be Iloilo! [via Sleepinginairports.net]

2018 Philippine holidays, long weekends

You may now start planning your vacation for next year as the official Philippine Holidays for 2018 has been declared by the President.

Malacañang has made public on Wednesday the Presidential Proclamation No. 269 signed July 17, 2017 declaring the regular holidays and special non-working days for the year 2018. Here's the list:

Regular Holidays

• January 1, 2018, Monday – New Year's Day
• March 29, 2018 – Maundy Thursday
• March 30, 2018 – Good Friday
• April 9, 2018, Monday – Araw ng Kagitingan
• May 1, 2018, Tuesday – Labor Day
• June 12, 2018, Tuesday – Independence Day
• August 27, 2018, last Monday of August – National Heroes' Day
• November 30, 2018, Friday – Bonifacio Day
• December 25, 2018, Tuesday – Christmas Day
• December 30, 2018, Sunday – Rizal Day

Special Non-working Days

• February 18, 2018, Friday – Chinese New Year
• February 25, 2018, Sunday – EDSA Revolution Anniversary
• March 31, 2018 – Black Saturday
• August 21, 2018, Tuesday – Ninoy Aquino Day
• November 1, 2018, Thursday – All Saints' Day
• December 31, 2018, Monday – last day of the year

The President has also added the following special non-working holidays:

• November 2, 2018, Friday
• December 24, 2018, Monday

As usual the proclamations for Muslims' holidays Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha will follow after approximate dates of the Islamic holidays have been determined.

So based on the above list, here are the long weekends for 2018:

• February 18,19,20 - Chinese New Year falls on Friday
• March 29,30,31, April 1 - Holy Week
• April 7, 8, 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan falls on Monday
• August 25, 26, 27 - Last Monday of August is National Heroes' Day
• November 1,2,3,4 - Undas Long Weekend
• November 28, 29, 30 - Bonifacio Day falls on Monday
• December 22,23,24,25 - Christmas Long Weekend
• December 29, 30, 31, Jan 1 - Yearend/New Year Long Weekend

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has been directed to promulgate the implementing guidelines regarding the proclamation, especially the pay rules that employers and employees must follow during the holidays.

Cebu Pacific to offer Kalibo-Korea direct flights daily starting October 1

Cebu Pacific has announced that they will be offering daily direct international flights from Kalibo International Airport in Aklan to Incheon, South Korea and vice versa starting October 1, 2016.

The Philippine's leading airline will utilize its 180-seater Airbus A320 aircraft for flights between Kalibo and Incheon will which will depart Kalibo every day at 1:50am, and arrive in Incheon at 7:10am. The return flight will depart Incheon at 7:55am, and arrive in Kalibo at 11:15am on the same day.

"The new Kalibo-Incheon route opens opportunities for passengers to explore must-see places in Incheon such as Wolmi-Do Island, Landing Memorial Hall and Jeondeungsa Temple, among others. We will remain committed to exploring more routes to cater to more passengers and to beef up economic, trade and tourism in this destination," said Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB Vice President for Corporate Affairs, in a statement

Cebu Pacific recently offered a seat sale for as low as P1999 for Kalibo – Incheon flights, for travel between October 1, 2016 and March 15, 2017.

The Department of Tourism Region VI Director Atty. Helen J. Catalbas sees this new route as a milestone and a boon to the region’s steady tourism growth. She said Western Visayas is one of the regions with highest share to the country’s earnings from tourism in 2015.




"This newly-added direct flight is a manifestation that more Korean tourists recognize Western Visayas as their destination in the Philippines with Kalibo as the nearest gateway to Boracay Island," Director Catalbas stressed.

Kalibo International Airport caters chartered flights daily from Incheon to Kalibo via Cebu Pacific. Other chartered and direct flights to Kalibo come from Pusan, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Taipei, Chingdu, Beijing, Changsa, Peking, Chowking, Hong Kong and Singapore, with Philippine Airlines, Silk Air, Tiger Air, China Airlines and Cebu Pacific as air carriers. Korea is still Western Visayas’ top foreign market followed by China and Taiwan.

"DOT VI continues to pursue more aggressive marketing activities and programs and accredit tourism establishments to attract more tourists to experience Western Visayas first," Director Catalbas emphasized.