Travel Direct from Guam to Cebu - A Boost for Tourism in the Philippines?

Travel From Guam to Samar Philippines

In the past we could travel from Guam direct to Manila by way of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) 0530 flight. It would get us to Manila in under 4 hours, and we had about a 2-hour window to catch our connecting PAL Express flight to Calbayog City in Samar, and we would usually arrive at home just in time for lunch. Then PAL began messing with domestic flight schedules, moving the Calbayog flight to a much earlier time slot. Now there was no way we could make the connection and had to spend the night in Manila returning to the airport the next morning. So, what once was about a 6-hour trip to get home transformed into a 28-hour ordeal.

Then people who are much smarter than me apparently decided to end the direct daily route from Manila to Calbayog and moved the flight to Clark on select days of the week. That was just too cumbersome and now we would have to travel to Cebu on PAL Express to catch another flight to Calbayog. And today, the PAL flight from Cebu to Calbayog has also moved to a much earlier time slot and prevented us from making a direct connection. Other options were to fly from Manila to Catarman, Northern Samar or Tacloban, Leyte, but those flights don't depart daily, and times weren't lined up with our arrival in Manila either. The big issue I have with flying to Tacloban is that the 5+ hour drive to Calbayog City is a pothole nightmare.

So, this trip we had to split the airlines up. We took PAL's new direct flight from Guam to Cebu but still didn't arrive in time to make the connection to Calbayog and, rather than spend the night in Cebu, we opted to switch airlines and take a later flight on Cebu Pacific. The problem with this scenario is without the international connection, baggage restrictions came into play. Normally, from an international origination, baggage allowances are transferred to the domestic leg of the flight with PAL. But because we chose to switch carriers, we were at the mercy of domestic travel baggage rules allowing us only one checked piece of luggage each. We had to pay an additional luggage fee of about $35 per piece but at least we could get home in time for a late lunch.

Tourism Falling Short in the Philippines!

At a time when tourism in the Philippines is lagging behind other countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia, these uncoordinated domestic flight schedules are likely a contributing factor. Considering PAL transports hundreds of travelers between Guam and the Philippines daily, one would think decisions could be made to better serve the traveling public, making travel to final destinations more convenient.

Tourism sources outline one of the reasons for a 33% shortfall in travel projections to the Philippines in 2025 is due to travel inconveniences with poor air connectivity making it difficult for tourists to reach their destinations in the Philippines, limiting their travel options and increasing costs. At a time when travelers are more budget conscious, tourists are choosing cheaper destinations with better infrastructure and ease of travel. Because the Philippines offers so many different destinations once you arrive in country, travel inconveniences could be a big factor in this overall decline. The Manila Times has also added that with hotel performance showing limited progress and recovery in foreign arrivals facing difficulties, it's clear that a more coordinated effort between the public and private sectors is needed.

12-Hour Ferry services from Calbayog City to Cebu

For our return to Guam, we are considering the option of taking a Fast Cat (boat) from Calbayog to Cebu (about 6 hours) a couple days before our scheduled departure from Cebu on PAL. At least we can take our time and visit with a few friends and a family member there.

Domestic travel across the Philippines can be awkward and less than efficient at times, and we've learned never to be in a hurry to get anywhere... except home in time for lunch.