One more airline company starts flying to Calbayog City

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 14, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  Another airline company will soon fly to Calbayog from Manila, Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento who is also the Chairman of the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas, disclosed.

Mayor Sarmiento said that the maiden flight to Calbayog of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Express on July 15, will be a historic one as for the first time, two airlines will be flying to Calbayog.

Mayor Sarmiento sees this as a manifestation of a positive development in the Region. At present, only the Asian Spirit is flying the Calbayog-Manila and vice versa route three times a week, he said.

With the new player’s 4 times per week flight, Calbayog City will already have one per day flight and could already claim to easy accessibility.

Further, Mayor Sarmiento is hoping that the entrance of a new aviation player will accelerate economic activities and result to economic growth not only in Calbayog but in the entire region.

For one, accessibility will trigger more investors and tourists, Mayor Sarmiento said. More visitor arrivals will mean more business to the Hospitality Industry, to include the hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, and allied business.

Calbayog City is a first class city in the province of Samar. It lies along the coastal region of the province stretching about 60 miles from the northern tip of the island and 180 miles from southern boundaries. Calbayog is comprises 157 barangays and is the largest city in Eastern Visayas. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 163,657 people in 28,912 households.

Belonging to the new breed of public servants, Mayor Sarmiento has made impressive gains for the City of Calbayog. Becoming the City Mayor in 2001, Mayor Sarmiento successfully reversed a P144 Million deficit in the local government.