Cebu Pacific launches seat sale with DOT to boost tourism

 By Ma. Cristina

Candice Iyog, vice president for Cebu Pacific's Marketing and Customer Experience, during the virtual presser on Dec. 9, 2020. (PNA photo by Cristina Arayata)

MANILA – As more local destinations are opening their doors for travel, Cebu Pacific (CEB) was joined by the Department of Tourism (DOT) as it launched its "12.12 Piso sale", virtually on Wednesday.

The seat sale can be availed of from December 10-12, for travel from August 1 to November 30, 2021. The price for one-way base fare is as low as PHP1, according to CEB.

In the virtual presser, Candice Iyog, vice president for CEB's Marketing and Customer Experience said the carrier has partnered with the DOT for the "Juan Love" campaign, which highlights the wonders of local destinations.

Launched in September, the "Juan Love" campaign has a total of one million seats open in the entire "Ber" months.

Despite the challenges, Iyog said the pandemic has still brought some positive changes for CEB and for its customers.

"Covid-19 has provided the industry a platform to adapt to digital transformation," she said, adding that this also applies to the customers -- from the rebooking of flights to online check-in.

Iyog said that in the last few weeks, their customers' top searches were Caticlan or Boracay, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga or Coron.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr., in the same presser, said their recent survey showed people are looking forward to visit Boracay, Siargao, and Baguio.

"They have a preference for outdoor activities such as water sports activities, mountain trekking, motorbike tourism," he said.

Meanwhile, DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the agency supports CEB president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei's suggestion for travelers to have a Covid passport.

"The DOT supports Lance Gokongwei's suggestion to have a Covid passport, which is vital to recovery of international travel," Romulo-Puyat said.

In a briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday, Gokongwei said there has to be a global Covid passport showing a person has been vaccinated by a credible vaccination source that every country would respect and recognize.

The CEB boss said the priority needs to be getting the vaccines in the hands of as many populations as possible, then connect this to a Covid passport "so that countries would trust when we say that a passenger has already achieved the levels of antibodies so he would not be infectious to anyone".

Bengzon said there has been an initial discussion regarding that, and different options are being looked at.

"We will explore to make it easier for the traveling public to move around," Bengzon said. (PNA)