A LOCAL business leader said the new flight route connecting the provinces of Negros Occidental and Pampanga will surely strengthen economic activities in the province.
Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), Wednesday said the new domestic flights will boost connectivity between Negros Occidental and areas in Luzon.
The Philippine Airlines (PAL) had earlier announced that it will launch the Clark-Bacolod flights on December 15.
The flag carrier will have an initial four flights every week, during Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, between Clark International Airport and Bacolod-Silay International Airport via Airbus 320.
These will add to the current five daily flights between Manila and Bacolod, and two daily flights between Cebu and Bacolod.
Carbon, regional governor of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for Western Visayas, said the new route will open more trade and tourism opportunities for the province given that Pampanga is a gateway to other potential areas in Luzon.
“Tourism is one major trade commodity that the additional flights can bridge towards Negros Occidental,” he said.
Baguio is just one of the many major tourism destinations in northern Luzon thus, more travelers are encouraged to pass through Bacolod-Clark route to ease congestion in Metro Manila, he added.
The business leader pointed out that despite the additional flights connecting Bacolod to other provinces in the country, the Manila route should stay.
“The business sector welcomes this new development but flights going to Manila should stay as it is still the major destination of most travelers," Carbon pointed out.
The MBCCI official also cited trading of agricultural products which can get a boost through the Clark-Bacolod flights.
Carbon said the province still sources various high-value commercial crops, including vegetables, fruits and flowers from Benguet and Baguio, and other agricultural commodities like garlic, onion and even rice from Luzon.
Thus, the new flights are seen to create faster and more efficient delivery of products resulting to lesser transport costs among local businessmen, he said.
More in and out traffic from Bacolod City would mean more economic activities, and improvement in connectivity, including sea vessel and airplane would result to more enterprises and employment to Negrenses, Carbon said.
“In fact, we need to make it louder our push to develop further Bacolod-Silay Airport so that it can cater to many additional domestic and international flights,” he said, adding that "potential trade ventures can also be done in Mindanao, both in agriculture and tourism, so more flights to Davao, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos are needed."
"Negros Occidental is one of the fastest growing provinces. It has huge potential especially in terms of tourism, retail and construction, among others thus, it continues to invite more developments and investments," Carbon added.
