The seat sale promo sale period is from August 17 – August 19, 2010 or as long as the seats last. And these are the destinations, international and domestic:

Domestic Seat Sale:

Manila to Coron (Busuanga) or Kalibo – P 499 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

Manila to Puerto Princesa or Tagbilaran – P 699 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

Cebu to Puerto Princesa – P 699 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

Manila to Boracay (Caticlan) or Dumaguete – P 899 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

Cebu to Boracay (Caticlan) or Siargao – P 899 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

International Seat Sale:

Cebu to Singapore – P 1,999 – Travel Period: Nov. 1 – 30, 2010

Manila to Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing – P 1,999 – Travel Period: Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, 2010

And as always:

• Quoted fares are one way.
• Limited availability.
• Fare are exclusive of government fees and taxes.
• Fares are non-refundable.
• Flight changes must be made more than 24 hours before scheduled time of departure.
• Go Lite Fares are available upon booking for guests traveling without check-in baggage.
• Add P 100 to fare upon booking if traveling with check-in baggage.
• CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply.

But does someone actually care for traffic signs? Do you check them while driving? Do you try to follow the rules? Often I realize that you are lost  in Cebu’s traffic if you try to follow the traffic rules.

The picture below shows a smaller road in Barangay Camputhaw here in Cebu which is quite narrow. There are some shops on both sides and pedestrians have to share the road with the cars since there is no extra pedestrian walkway. That might be the reason someone put up the sign “ONE LANE ONLY” as you can see on the right side of the picture.

Someone thought this through. It is also simple English, easy to understand right? If only someone would care while driving there. There are  almost always two lanes. Today I have even seen a taxi driver trying to make a “third” lane which is physically impossible there. What was he thinking? Taxi drivers don’t seem to be the smartest folks around in Cebu anyway, but that’s another story.

Do you sometimes think as well that all the traffic jams and accidents in Cebu might be reduced if everybody follows a few simple traffic rules? Interesting thought or do you also just give a s$@t about the traffic rules in Cebu?

Find the latest list of people who survived the Toledo accident and the ones who sadly died in the bus crash:

Who survived the Toledo accident?

1. Ediberto Alferez
2. Elemar Jurada
3. Evelyn Belio
4. Francisco dela Cruz
5. Julemar Andevor
6. Ronald Atillo
7. Concepcion Umandap
8. Rolando Delima
9. Fe Tundag
10. Bernardo Enario
11. Felipe Benting
12. Criselda Narvasa
13. Antonio Plameran
14. Allan Resgonia
15. Bernardo Baliguat
16. Mildred Curay
17. Roger Molde
18. Neron Undalok
19. Willie Baselis
20. Heremeniano Benita
21. Rogelio Caro Jr.
22. Pobito Permacio Jr.
23. Alfredo Paselos
24. Maurecio Repdos
25. Abel Paisano
26. Estrella Ababon
27. Juan Gargar Jr.
28. Gary Bequilla
29. Berlito Rebalde
30. Cerinaico Salondait
31. Triffon Jay Villamor
32. Alquin Baring
33. Jerry Waskin
34. Leizelda Ababon
35. Antonio De Gracia Jr.
36. Emelito Ortega
37. Antonio Tugbong
38. Luzviminda Tugbong
39. Luciano Buro
40. Gomer Galriate
41. Jerry Romero
42. Neil Benting
43. Roger Dakay
44. Pitra Dakay
45. Joneveb Cases
46. Roy Bangkok
47. Bonifacio Mangera
48. Juanito Batulan
49. One year-old boy

Who got killed in the Toledo accident?

(Eight out of 15 identified)
1. Alfredo Pacillos, 42, of Bato, Toledo City
2. Floredelez Benting, 37, of Colonia, Tuburan
3. Maximo Agsoy, 55, of Caridad, Tuburan
4. Cyril Benting, 10, of Colonia, Tuburan
5. Sian Vincent Bazarte, 15, of Colonia, Tuburan
6. Ronela Cabañero, 51, of Balamban
7. Mary Jane Capacite, 20, of Toledo City
8. Teofilo Tolegado, 49, of Tuburan

Our condolences go to all the families who lost loved ones in this deadly Toledo accident

An overloaded bus yesterday swerved off the road in Toledo City and crashed into the concrete fence of a house, killing at least 15 passengers, including two boys aged 10 and 15.

From the wreckage, a one-year-old boy was found unhurt. He was turned over to social workers after no one claimed him as of 10 p.m. Authorities suspect his travel companion was among those killed.

Many of the dead and the 48 injured passengers were from Tuburan town, the destination of the bus. Survivors said the Corominas-owned bus was traveling at high speed going downhill in a steep portion of the road in sito Landing, barangy Don Andres Soriano (also called Lutopan) past 5 p.m.

The driver, Diosdado Requiso, 48, said he lost control of the bus after its brakes malfunctioned. Except for two bruises in his left leg, he was unscathed. “Wala na koy kapaingnan kay naa may enkwentro sa pikas. Wa na ko kakontrol (I had nowhere else to go because the other lane was occupied. I couldn’t control the vehicle),” he told reporters at the Toledo police station, where a motorcycle habal-habal driver brought him. “Nasubo gyud ko.” (I deeply regret this.)

The driver said this was his first major accident in the 12 years he’s been working for the Corominas bus line. The unit he was driving was about a year old. If not for the house fence along the road, the bus would have fallen further down and off a cliff.

Carlina Yaquit, 21, was at home watching television when the bus rammed the family’s concrete fence. She said she suddenly heard a loud crash. When she went outside, she said there were bodies strewn in the front yard. Three bodies were later found in the garden. “Kalit kaayo. Murag gipangyabyab,” she said.

The bus was going at a fast clip, according to witnesses and passengers. “Kusog jud ang dagan,” said Ringo Starr Acuman, who was standing across the street with his wife, when the crash occurred.

The 53-seater bus was carrying more than its ideal capacity, a common practice in provincial buses. At the crash site, the bus lay on its side with the center portion torn open. Fortunately, no bystanders were injured. The bus left Cebu City about 4 p.m. with 64 passengers on its way to the west coast town of Tuburan.

A survivor Petra Dakay, 70, said the bus was so full, some passengers stood in the aisle. She and her husband were on their way home to Toledo City. Dakay said she was nervous with the way the driver was going fast along the curving roads so she closed her eyes to go to sleep. She said she was awakened by screams that filled the bus. She fractured her elbow and injured her head.

Another passenger Jerry Waskin, 24, of Asturias town, was seated at the center of the bus. He, too, said people were standing in the center aisle. He said the driver was going fast even if he was aware the road was steep.

In a press statement, the management of Corominas Bros. said it “stands by its commitment as operator”. “We will not renege on our responsibility to those who are injured and to the casualties. Even as we await for the official findings of the proper investigating agencies, we are also, on our own, double checking all units to ensure the safety of the riding public, most of whom we’ve known and served well for more than three decades.”

“It’s human error”, said P03 Julius Sanchez, investigator of the Toledo City Police Station , who went into the accident site. The bus fell on its side and several passengers were pinned to death inside the bus, Sanchez said.

More than 20 victims were brought to the Toledo District hospital where they were treated for head injuries and bone fractures. Nurse Rubie Fernandez told radio dyLA three patients died there – a teenage girl, an elderly man in his 70s and another man in his 40s.

Before midnight, 30 passengers were rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, where Code Red was declared, calling all medical staff on duty.

The bus operator assured it would shoulder medical expenses and give cash assistance to families of the victims. “This was really an accident. I hope they understand,” said lawyer Edmund Villanueva, counsel of Corominas Brothers. “My clients have really exercised being responsible bus operators. They have checked their older units. They’ve been in the business for three decades. This is their worst accident.”

The VJ & A bus with plate number GVG 145 was among three buses bought one and a half years ago. The fleet has about 20 buses owned separately by different family members, said former Cebu Provincial Board member Victoria Corominas. She said all their buses undergo regular check-up and daily maintenance after a trip. She confirmed that the driver, Requiso, had served a long time in the company and was an expert driver.

The remains of all 15 dead passengers are in St. Francis Memorial Home in Toledo City where authorities are waiting for relatives to identify and claim them. Yesterday’s crash was the fourth major vehicular accident since June 13 when a tourist bus fell into a ravine in the Transcentral Highway in Balamban town, killing the bus driver and 20 Iranians on holiday.

On June 21, a trailer truck carrying two container vans lost its brake in Poog, Toledo City. Four bystanders outside the church were crushed to death. A few days later, a Ceres bus also crashed in a curved road in Sogod town, northern Cebu injuring 12 persons on June 24.

Knowing how drivers, especially those of jeepneys and public buses drive, speeding and often under the influence of either alcohol or more often drugs, you don’t have to wonder how this could happen. And as long as the drivers are allowed or not punished for such behavior there wont be any change. More deadly accidents are bound to happen in Cebu.

Why was this accident expected?

I have seen many buses speeding and overtaking cars on small roads in Cebu. The drivers often drive like they don’t really want to stay alive for long. Drugged eyes, smoking cigarettes while driving, texting and calling behind the wheel.

After the last deadly crash – what actions have been taken? All the buses of the company involved have been tested from the LTO, most of them not road-worthy. Another test a while later suggested they can all drive now. Fines for the bus rental company? Not so sure. Did you ever see a checkpoint for buses somewhere on the road? Do Tanods even care what happens on the roads? Not really it seems as you can speed past them or cross the red light in front of their eyes and nothing happens.

But we have a good traffic police in Cebu, right? They give good examples? Check this report about the policeman on a motorcycle in Cebu and think again…

Most accidents get classified as “mistake” – nobody wants to see the reasons behind these accidents. The lawyers of the Toledo crash company above are also very fast assuring it was a “human error”. This is correct, but not just the driver is the one who made the mistake here, it is also the company behind him, the government and Cebu City officials who make mistakes in allowing such things to happen.

The government of Cebu does not seem to enthusiastic about stopping deadly accidents or increasing the safety on the roads, unfortunately

What options do we have?

Don’t use buses or jeepneys one could say. But is that really an option? Of course not. Call for the new Cebu City  Mayor Mike Rama to address the driving habits of Cebu’s Public Transportation drivers? Probably an option. But we can and should all start telling the drivers not to smoke while driving, not to speed or talk on their mobile phones while they drive. All jeepneys and buses have a number plate or even a LTO number, so you can phone the company or the LTO and make a complaint about that specific driver.

And then of course the LTO as the responsible organization should have to take action. Who can implement this? This goes out again to our new Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama.

We have to get these devil-drivers off the roads of Cebu for God’s sake. Do you want to have someone of your family killed on the road? Are you not thinking about the safety of your kids while they are outside? Come on Cebu, we can and have to do better than this…

Cebu has won the award “Best Honeymoon Tourism Destination” at the recent World Trade Fair in Shanghai. Cebu hopes this award will benefit the Honeymoon Tourism for the island.

The award was presented at the World Trade Fair 2010 held in Shanghai, China. The decision was taken after a public vote and a tough evaluation process taken by the jury from Shanghai Tourism Municipal Administration VNU Exhibitions Asia, and Shanghai International Conference Management Organization.

Philippines Tourism Officials were very happy with the award and hoped that this will help Cebu draw more tourists. Currently Cebu is the second most popular destination in Philippines after Manila. It continues to draw more than 400,000 tourists due to its white beaches, resorts and splendid views. No wonder why Cebu is one of the most popular destination amongst honeymoon couples.

Cebu enjoys a steady influx of travelers, with top markets including Korea (28 percent), Japan (23 percent), USA (10 percent), and China (6 percent). Cebu is also called the Queen City of the South. Cebu defeated destinations like Hawaii, Jamaica and Kerala in India to win the award.

Residents living near the crash site said the driver took a great risk in passing through the steep highway while bringing a tour bus full of people. Initial reports said at least 50 people were on board the bus en route to a picnic when the bus lost control and fell off the 30-meter ravine. The Filipino driver and owner and 19 Iranians died, and 26 people were injured, said regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Wilson Feria. Nine of an estimated 55 passengers were unaccounted for still, but the military was double-checking because it was unclear exactly how many people were on board, Feria said.

Most of the passengers were Iranian medical students from Cebu Doctors University, University of Visayas and University of San Carlos, all in Cebu. They were identified by relatives and through their IDs, Digal said. It was not clear if the Iranians were involved in a medical mission or went for an outing at one of several resorts in and around Cebu.

Lani O’Neres, regional police director of Cebu district 7, earlier said the bus’ brakes might have malfunctioned while navigating a sharp curve on the highway, causing it to hit the railing and fall into a 100-foot (30-meter) ravine.

Villagers and police pulled bodies from the mangled wreckage at the rocky bottom of the ravine, while a backhoe sent by a nearby Japanese shipbuilding company attempted to lift the bus up, Feria said. Cables were attached but the bus was too heavy and there was a danger the backhoe might be pulled down, he added. The bus had an ominous plate number: DWZ-666, the “Number of the Beast” in the Bible’s Book of Revelation.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board imposed a 30-day suspension on Cattleya Bus Tours, which promotes the services of J&G Tours. News of the accident has reached the Iranian embassy in Manila. Poorly maintained vehicles and roads, along with inadequate safety signs, railings, training and weak traffic law enforcement, are blamed for many deadly accidents in the Philippines.

Knowing the driving habits especially in Cebu it comes as no surprise. Especially bus drivers drive like crazy, maybe this accident leads to stricter enforcement of the traffic rules? Probably not. But at least drivers could be checked regularly on the road since many of them use shabu or other drugs rather regularly. Do you want your bus driver to be stoned while he is driving you around the mountains?

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

The four-lane tunnel stretches about 600 meters from the viaduct connecting the South Road Properties to downtown Cebu City and passes underneath the Plaza Independencia. Estimated to cost P1.6 billion, the tunnel forms part of the Cebu south coastal road which provides a direct and faster link from the southern part of Cebu to the old central business district of the city.

The entire road project was financed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Public Works Undersecretary Rafael C. Yabut said the tunnel is 98% complete. The facility is expected to be fully operational in August this year. He said the tunnel will be open to motorists for a limited period, from 6-9 a.m and 4-7 p.m., to allow cabling and other finishing works.

The President received both criticism and praises from Cebuanos after she inaugurated the tunnel.

Boost to development

Vice-Mayor Michael L. Rama, incoming city mayor, thanked the President for the project, adding that the facility will boost Cebu’s economic development.

“This [inauguration] is a very historic activity, a milestone, a breakthrough in this island. It will bring connectivity with clarity from the south to the north. This can change the landscape of our economy,” Mr. Rama said in his speech.

Delivery man Dino Carale attested that his travel time from Talisay City in the south to Cebu City is cut by about one hour through the south coastal road.

Aside from the tunnel, other components of the south coastal road are a viaduct and the land-based section from Talisay City passing through the South Road Properties.

Mrs. Arroyo, for her part, said it will be self-serving for her to relate the benefits of the project and instead praised the engineers, consultants, masons and construction workers who built the tunnel.

On the other hand, Arman Perez, secretary-general of the militant Bayan Muna party-list group in Central Visayas, described the inauguration as a venue for the President to earn “pogi” (plus) points.

Meanwhile, Japanese consul Makuto Katsura assured that the Japanese government will continue to support the Philippines through laudable projects.

The President was also scheduled to inaugurate a P15-million two-storey school-building of the nearby Zapatera elementary school which was funded under the city’s special education fund. However, the president disappointed the group of people waiting for her at the Zapatera Elementary School.

Due to her tight schedule, Arroyo skipped the inspection at the school, disappointing school officials and students who waited for her.

Vice mayor-elect Joy Augustus Young said the president’s scheduled visit would have been a chance for the teachers and students to thank her for the education programs of her administration, and to bid her farewell before she steps down from the presidency.

Unfortunately every year you can see less and less of these cute little Tarsier monkeys in Bohol. There are big signs telling people “DO NOT TOUCH” but it seems many visitors can simply not read or don’t really care about the little monkeys

The Tarsier captured in this high definition video below was quite excited to see our camera it seems, but see for yourself

Give the video a little pre-loading time if your computer or Internet connection are not the fastest. Just press pause and have it load first.

Don’t forget to leave your comment below and as usual share, retweet, buzz and digg this news. Thank you

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Guests who wish to explore Hong Kong can go from Clark for the “Go Lite” seat sale fare of P999, from Manila for P1,499, and from Cebu for P1,999. Shanghai and Guangzhou seats from Manila are also up for grabs for only P1,999.

The travel period for this seat sale allows passengers to visit the World Expo, which is held in Shanghai this year, from May 1 to October 31, 2010. The last World Expo was in Aichi, Japan in 2005.

Dubbed the Olympic Games of economy, science and technology, the Expo this year has the theme of “Better City, Better Life.”

Meanwhile, Cebu-Clark flights and Davao-Cagayan flights are also available for the “Go Lite” seat sale fare of P499. Passengers with check-in luggage will just add P100 upon booking. “There will be an expected 70 million visitors and 200 participants in this year’s World Expo, and we encourage our guests to go there on CEB’s trademark low fares,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

]]> http://cebuinformer.com/travel/12822/cebu-pacific-seat-sale-to-hongkong-singapore-and-guangzhou/feed/ 0 http://cebuinformer.com/travel/12814/cebu-pacific-air-and-their-delays-the-facts/ http://cebuinformer.com/travel/12814/cebu-pacific-air-and-their-delays-the-facts/#comments Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:24:42 +0000 Cebu Informer http://cebuinformer.com/?p=12814 Cebu Pacific (CEB) has posted an average on-time performance (OTP) of 91.2% for March 2010 and maintained an on-time average of 91.8% for the first quarter of 2010, with the highest monthly average being 92.5% on-time for February.

The airline said this performance exceeds the International Air Transport Association (IATA) industry standard of 85%.

“This is largely in part because of our guests who show up on-time for their flights, and the most modern aircraft fleet in the country. We expect delivery of three more Airbus A320 aircraft by the end of 2010, helping us deliver faster, more efficient service to our guests,” said CEB VP for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog.

CEB would celebrate its on-time operations with a Cebu and Davao hub seat sale from April 17 to 19, 2010. This is for travel from June 1 to August 31, 2010. “We encourage our guests going to and from Cebu and Davao to book early. With this seat sale, CEB not only offers high on-time performance but also trademark low fares,” Iyog added.

The Cebu Pacific Air Promo is called “Sale-abrate this April”.

Sale Period is from April 17 to April 19 only.

Travel Period will be from June 1 to August 31 2010.

All fares are go-lite, one way and exclusive of all taxes as usual. Sample rates below…

Domestic Flight Offers:

• Cebu – Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Clark, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Tacloban, Siargao, Surigao – Peso 499.00
• Cebu – Manila, Butuan,  Davao, Dipolog, General Santos, Legaspi, Ozamiz, Pagadian – Peso 899.00
• Cebu – Boracay  (Caticlan), Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga – Peso 999.00
• Davao – Manila, Zamboanga – Peso 999.00

International Flight Offers:

• Manila – Taipei – Peso 1499.00
• Cebu – Hongkong, Singapore – Peso 1999.00
• Manila – Kuala Lumpur, – Peso 3499.00

So, share this News now, re-tweet it and the get ready to book. Let us know where you are flying to and if you got lucky with the Cebu Pacific Air Seat Sale Promo…

In a press statement, PAL’s Corporate Communications Department said Hampton and his wife Jovelyn were on the PAL flight from Manila to Cebu. Hampton reportedly became unruly after arguing with his wife. He was restrained by the plane’s cabin crew and some passengers. In the process, one of the passengers, identified as Oscar Surban, was injured, and the inner side window pane of the aircraft cabin was damaged when the American hit it with his walking cane.

Surban was taken to PAL’s clinic in Cebu while Hampton was detained while waiting for the filing of charges under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) laws and for damage to property and jeopardizing the safety of the flight. The pilots assured that the safety of the flight was not compromised during the incident. The flight arrived in Cebu and returned to Manila on schedule without further incident.

Feel free to share this Cebu Sunrise Picture with all your friends, easy buttons for this at the top…

Make your planned summer vacation even better with our International Seat Sale! Fly to various international destinations for as low as P999 only! Hurry, sale ends on Jan 29, 2010, book your flight now while seats last! Travel is valid from March 1 to May 31, 2010; just in time for your summer vacation!

(Prices listed are one-way)
MNL- Ho Chi Minh: P1499
MNL – Hong Kong: P1499
MNL – Guangzhou: P1499
MNL – Shanghai: P1999
MNL – Taipei: P999
MNL – Macau: P1499
MNL – Incheon: P1999
MNL – Osaka: P4999

CRK – Macau: P999
CRK – Hong Kong: P999

CEB – Hong Kong: P1499
CEB – Singapore: P1499
CEB – Busan: P1999
CEB – Incheon: P1999

Visayas/Mindanao – Hong Kong: P1499 (via Cebu)
Visayas/Mindanao – Singapore: P1499 (via Cebu)

So in case you have a summer vacation planned, this might just be the Cebu Pacific Seatsale for you…

Yesterday officials from Cebu Pacific Air denied charges of discrimination against people with special needs. This was handled badly I suppose. What could Cebu Pacific officials do now to make this worse?

Right, they could offer free Cebu Pacific tickets to them to make the “little problem” go away. And that’s exactly what they did according to reports, they offered free flight tickets. As if Cebu Pacific does not have enough issues to solve, especially their website performance which is often criticized from users.

Now I guess they have another problem, let’s see how this story develops. What do you think should have been done from the Cebu Pacific officials?

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Update from the inquirer 22 January 2010:

A fight for the rights of children with special needs.

This was how lawyer Salvador Panelo described the decision of the parents of a teenage boy who was allegedly forced to deplane from a Cebu Pacific flight because he was “mentally ill” to formally file charges against the airline on Thursday.

“Special children have equal rights as us. They are human beings who shouldn’t be treated like that,” Panelo told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone.

Panelo said that his clients, Gerry and Maritess Alcantara, filed a P5-million damage suit against Cebu Pacific before the Antipolo City prosecutor’s office.

“It’s a damage suit for the unlawful acts of Cebu Pacific for attempting to offload the mother and her child… for abusing a special child,” Panelo said.

The couple slapped Cebu Pacific with charges of violating Republic Act 7610, a special law that prohibits minors from being subjected to abuse and harassment and Republic Act 7277, the Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities.

The lawyer added that the Alcantaras would file on Friday a separate criminal case against the flight purser, the pilot, three crew members, and three vice presidents of the airline.

The Alcantaras’ 14-year-old son has global developmental delay, a condition wherein there is a lag in the development of some of his faculties.

Maritess Alcantara and her son were on a Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila from Hong Kong when the airline purser asked them to deplane supposedly because of a Cebu Pacific rule that no two “mentally ill” passengers should be on the same flight.

Maritess refused to deplane and felt humiliated for the alleged rude treatment of the crew.

Panelo earlier said that Cebu Pacific’s rule specifically said that “mentally ill” passengers did not include special children, which only indicated that the flight crew had misinterpreted the airline’s regulations.

Cebu Pacific earlier apologized for the incident and said it did not, and would not discriminate against passengers with special needs.

On Thursday, however, Panelo pointed out that his research has shown that Cebu Pacific figured in several other incidents where it had offloaded passengers with special needs, such as deaf or wheelchair-bound persons.

The lawyer said he would introduce these incidents as evidence in court.

“They think they can get away with murder,” Panelo said.

Travel Period is from January 1 – March 31, 2010.

Maybe you’re still looking for the perfect gift for your friends and loved ones. They also announced great deals for this holiday season when you avail of Cebu Pacific’s Fun Tours. You can get 20% off all Fun Tour Packages and Hotels.

We will maintain the road and facilities, but Visayan Electric Co. payment is not included in the contract,” project manager Hikonari Maeda told a meeting at the National Economic and Development Authority. Project managers from the Metro Cebu Development Project reported that construction of the P1.162-billion subway is 77-percent complete as of October 2009. Central Visayas Regional Development Council infrastructure-development committee chairman Emmanuel Rabacal said the body may decide in the future whether to impose a toll on the subway for the maintenance cost. “We need to raise money if only for maintenance,” Rabacal said. The toll issue is not the first in Metro Cebu.

A few years back, officials of Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City refused to foot the bill for the lights and the maintenance of the Marcelo Fernan Bridge (second Mactan Bridge). The provincial government was forced to step in and sell advertising billboard spots on the bridge to pay for maintenance. The subway is the last installment of the 12-kilometer Cebu South Coastal Road, which straddles the 240- hectare reclaimed Cebu South Road Properties, exiting in Talisay City in the south. The two projects are funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The subway goes underground near the Office of the President in Cebu and the historic Plaza Independencia just beside Fort San Pedro, the country’s first Spanish fortification. The project required the transplantation of several centuries and medium-growth trees from the park as well as initial excavation from government and academic archaeologists to clear the way before heavy equipment comes in for the dig.

The subway has been installed with a mechanical ventilation system, an emergency power generator and water pumps, project managers said. Although estimates indicated that there is no need to run the ventilation system in the first two to three years of the project, Kajima engineers said the expected growth in traffic volume will require ventilation and the projected 67,000 kilowatt-hours of power consumption every year.

published @ Business Mirror

Cebu Pacific brings back PHP 1.00 seat sale due to demand where more than 50,000 seats are up for grabs.

Great news everyone! Cebu Pacific (CEB) brings back its ‘Go Lite’ PHP 1.00 seat sale to all international and domestic destinations.

Promo period:

November 21-22, 2009 only, or until more than 50,000 seats have been sold out.

Travel period:

June 15-September 30, 2010.

Passengers may book and buy through www.cebupacificair.com or the reservations hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. Those without credit cards can still book their flights with seat sale fares online and pay via CEB partner banks. Good Luck