Traveloka, Philippine Airlines strengthen strategic cooperation

strategic partnerships and collaborations with various partners in the tourism industry to provide the best service for consumers. One of these strategic partnerships is with Philippine Airlines.

The initiative with Philippine Airlines, the Philippines’ flag carrier and sole full-service network airline, is aligned with Traveloka’s commitment to strengthening tourism growth in the Philippines and in the Southeast Asia Region. This strategic cooperation is formalized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Traveloka and Philippine Airlines that was signed in Manila on Tuesday, 28 February 2023. The MoU was signed by Iko Putera, CEO of Transport Traveloka and Captain Stanley K. Ng, President & COO of Philippine Airlines.

Based on the data from the Philippines Department of Tourism, around 83 thousand tourists visited the Philippines from the Southeast Asian region during the early pandemic of 2020, a dramatic drop from the over 526 thousand in 2019 due to global border restrictions. However, by the end of 2022, in line with efforts to recover the economy and tourism sector, the number of Southeast Asian visitors heading to the Philippines reached 188 thousand, increasing by more than double.

Iko said that during the post-pandemic period, people’s enthusiasm for business and tourism travel has increased along with the return of consumers’ confidence in traveling. The surge is mainly driven by the high rate of vaccinations and the re-opening of international borders.

Travel recovery in the Philippines is also seen in Traveloka’s internal data from 2021 to 2022. The number of visitors coming to the Philippines from Southeast Asian countries where Traveloka is operating increased by eight times. Meanwhile, the number of passengers using the flight network of Philippine Airlines to various international destinations has almost doubled.

“Since 2015, Traveloka has expanded to 6 countries in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Our presence in the market shows our commitment to offering services that focus on increasingly dynamic consumer needs. Also, providing easy access through the adoption of technology to fulfill consumers’ travel aspirations in Southeast Asia,” said Iko.

Traveloka understands that consumers have diverse needs and aspirations, including when it comes to planning for their trips. Hence, Traveloka has constantly innovated through its offerings of relevant products while also being open to fostering

As the most prominent international airline in the Philippines with the largest network of flights to Asia, North America, Australia and the Middle East, Philippine Airlines is always committed to its mission of providing convenience and comfort to consumers, which is constantly a top priority.

Captain Stanley K. Ng, President & COO of Philippine Airlines said, “We are pleased to forge this new partnership with Traveloka, which will help us fortify our connections with the global market. Philippine Airlines has always made it a top concern to build, sustain and develop the direct air links to countries in the region and beyond, which means reaching out to travellers living all over the world. Our intent is for the partnership to unlock new travel options for our customers to fly with Philippine Airlines to various wonderful destinations all around the Philippines, and to diverse international destinations as well.”

The Philippines is one of the tourist destinations in Southeast Asia that has opened its borders to foreign tourists. This archipelagic country famous for its natural beauty has become an increasingly popular tourist destination worth exploring, from its metropolitan capital city of Manila and longtime popular desti- nations such as Boracay and Cebu, to various tourist destinations on the rise, such as Siargao, El Nido, Coron, and Balabac Islands.

Recently, Siargao Island has emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. Foreign and domestic tourists mingle to surf and enjoy the beauty of the island, making Siargao one of the surfing capitals of the Philippines. El Nido is famous for its spectacular beaches and stunning views of lush tropical islands. A beautiful mix of hidden lagoons, white beaches, and mountains covered by green forest, shading the crystal clear waters. In Coron, tourists are greeted with spectacular underwater views.

There are colorful coral gardens, crystal clear water and wrecks of Japanese warships in these waters. In Balabac islands, located at the Southern tip of the Palawan archipelago, tourists are invited to enjoy beaches and small islands that travelers rarely visit.

“The Philippines is a beautiful country known for its white sandy beaches and amazing natural scenery. Philippine Airlines serves 32 domestic and 39 overseas destinations, a network that makes it convenient for travellers to come to the Philippines and discover the delights of our nation and its warm and friendly people. We look forward to strengthened cooperation with Traveloka that will make it easier for domestic and foreign tourists to visit favorite destinations in the Philippines,” explained Captain Ng.

In line with the commitment, Iko added, “Collaboration between Traveloka and the Philippine Airlines provides a variety of choices and flexibility for travelers to be able to enjoy and explore destinations in the Philippines in a more personalized, and unique way. Our platform offers various travel solutions and services, from accommodation options to local activities through Traveloka Xperience. We hope this partnership will positively contribute to tourism recovery in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.”

Those words came from the mouth of a man who was named by his parents, Rico A. Mag-usara and Erlene T. Bustaliño, Cristian Eric – perhaps after the Son of God only without an “h.” He was born eight days before the supposed birthday of Jesus Christ – on December 17, 1988 in Bislig, Surigao del Sur.

Tantan – as he is known among his family and friends – has gone a long, long way since his childhood days in Surigao who dreamed of becoming a commercial pilot. Although he wasn’t able to fulfil his wish, he is now one of the most successful business unit managers of Manulife Philippines. But it was a long struggle, perseverance, and a lot of prayer that brought him to where he is now. He attended three colleges. His first year was spent in Cagayan de Oro City at Lourdes College. For his second and third years, he went to St. Mary’s College in Tagum City. He finally got his nursing degree at Arriesgado College Foundation, Inc. in 2011.

“I took up nursing because of the inspiration of my grandfather, whom I took care of when he was hospitalized at San Pedro Hospital in Davao City for almost two months in 2005,” he recalled.

It was at that time when