Travel

Cheap flights to Manila – Must-See Holiday Destination

Manila is a bustling and a cosmopolitan city of Philippines and its capital city also. Manila in an enchanting tourist destination in South East Asia which offers various sightseeing, restaurants, parks, gardens, historical monuments and many more. It is situated at the mouth of the Pasig River on the eastern shores of the Luzon Island. It is most visited and a wonderful destination in Philippines.

Flights to Manila will take you to the most amazing holiday destination in Philippines in South East Asia. As the internet is thundering from last few years, many of the travel consolidators from UK have emerged to help the travelers and holidaymakers with online booking of cheap flights to Manila. Manila is a unique city and a must-see destination that offers a variety of cultures and experiences you will surely love to reminisce.

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Travel Tips for All

Here are some interesting links for you travel bugs.  Enjoy!

1. Travel accessories
2. Five Affordable World Travel Destination
3. How to Pick a Travel Agency
4. Travel Light The How And Why
5. Did I Pack My Toothbrush Getting Organi
6. How To Be Safe While Traveling
7. 5 Romantic Travel Resolutions
8. 8-Tips for Packing and Traveling Lite
9. Do Your Homework When Traveling
10. Photography Tips While Traveling
11. Tips for Summer Travel

More travel information here.

Emergency Landing

A few hours ago, this was posted here.

Local bomb probers decry denial of access to Qantas plane

By Alcuin Papa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:34:00 07/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Raising issues of sovereignty and jurisdiction, local bomb experts protested on Saturday what they said were strict restrictions imposed on them in their attempt to investigate the cause of the explosion that ripped a hole in a Qantas flight forced to land in Manila on Friday.

In a talk with the Inquirer, the experts said Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assistant general manager and security chief Angel Atutubo prevented them from conducting an investigation into the Qantas Boeing 747 that made an emergency landing in Manila.

 On the other hand, the experts said Australian authorities and even a team from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were allowed to have a look at the plane.

“We were prevented by General Atutubo to get close to the plane even if it is on Philippine soil. It’s an issue of sovereignty. He (Atutubo) gave us a hard time,” said a bomb expert who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of possible reprisals.

The officer said that if the plane had biohazard materials, local officials would be hard-pressed to quell any outbreak.

“Who would answer for that if something like Anthrax spreads? Can General Atutubo answer for that? Do we still have to ask permission for something as lethal as that?” he said.

Nonetheless, the lack of access, the sources said, had other foreign experts worried. “There should have been an advice given to Atutubo on the protocol until at least the source of the explosion was identified.”

Because of the lack of access to the plane, investigators were only able to give a theory on the cause of the explosion.

“It looked like there was some weakness in the metal rivets and structure aggravated by whatever chemicals were in the baggage section. But we cannot be absolutely sure,” the investigator said.

Another veteran bomb expert recalled that when a Philippine Airlines flight exploded in Japan in 1994, bomb investigators were allowed to inspect the plane by Japanese authorities.

“We asked the permission of Japanese authorities and they agreed. What is wrong if the same access, in the name of courtesy at least, was given to us in the Qantas flight?” he asked.

The bombing turned out to be a test mission of terrorists Ramzi Yousef who had established a terrorist cell in the country and had planned to launch a series of bombing attacks on international flights flying out of Manila. The operation, codenamed Operation Bojinka, was widely seen as the template for the September 11, 2001 attack on World Trade Center in the United States.

“Remember that flight (Friday’s Qantas flight) came from London and there were bombings there in July 7, 2005. So access should have been given in the name of international cooperation against terrorism,” he said.

The Qantas flight from London was on its way to Melbourne after a stop in Hong Kong when it made an emergency landing at the NAIA. Passengers recalled hearing an explosion with the plane descending rapidly afterward. No one was reported hurt in the incident.

I’m just curious as to who these local bomb experts are and why them seem to be insistent on attempting to investigate the alleged explosion of and damage to a Qantas flight that had to land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) yesterday.  Now, they are most probably legitimate experts in their field.  I am not here to question their credibility or expertise.

I’m sure MIAA AGM Angel Atotubo had valid reasons for disallowing the experts from conducting an investigation.  I wonder what he told them.  Were the locals planning to do this investigation separately from those other experts from Australia (who were perhaps requested by Qantas to investigate) and the United States FAA?

Is it really a matter of sovereignty and jurisdiction?  Is there something to gain from this exercise?  Do our Philippine experts stand to lose a lot by not being able to perform their duties?  One point of view that some quarters may be advocating is that since the plane is in our sovereign territory, our people must have unrestricted access to do what is necessary.  On the other hand, the plane is owned by a foreign entity, so it is their concern altogether.  It just so happened that the pilot decided to land it in Manila to ensure the safety of his passengers.

Now as to the 1994 explosion of a PAL plane in Japan, to which this incident is being compared to, the local expert says that we asked for, and were given, permission by the Japanese authorities to inspect the plane there.  So maybe that’s what was done by the foreign inspectors here in Manila as well.  Maybe they even went further to ask the kind AGM for some restrictions, all in the name of security of information.  Perhaps everything would be on a need-to-know basis.

Setting aside the jurisdiction issue and anything related to that, we’d like to know what really happened on Flight QF30, which originated from London and was scheduled to proceed to Melbourne after a stop-over in Hong Kong

Some other experts, basing their comments on pictures alone, say that a section of the fuselage gave way in flight.  Perhaps metal fatigue or a manufacturing defect caused the panel to be ripped away.  “Not uncommon” is what we hear from them.

 I’m no expert, so I can’t even begin to speculate on the cause of this mishap or even on the reason for the refusal to have local personnel take an active part in the investigation.

Cebu Smile

I joined Cebu Pacific and Smile’s Anniversary – Great Giveaway when I took a round-trip flight between Manila and Cebu last November 2007.

I had received notice (via email) last February 2008 from the publishers of SMILE that I was chosen at random as one of the lucky winners of the said contest.  I provided the information requested and reverted by email on the same day.

By March I had posted an inquiry via their website and received a reply from their Editor that the winners were being notified by email already and that the results would be out in the June/July issue of Smile.

I made a follow-up inquiry last May 2008 and requested a change of but have received no word yet since then.  Just this month I had posted another inquiry online and at the same time sent an email.  I hope there will be some positive response soon, as it’s almost August.

It’s not so much about the prize that I could win – well, a trip to Bangkok is indeed something that I’d gladly accept though – but also their advice that the list of winners would be known at so-and-so date.  So far it hasn’t happened yet.

I don’t know if the prizes have already been delivered, but since the names haven’t been posted yet, I’m assuming that they’re all still in a warehouse somewhere.  And that’s good news for me, in a way.  At least I’d be sure that they didn’t deliver my prize to the wrong place.

And I’m still waiting.

My Travels in the Philippines (Again)

Here’s an update on my travels in the Philippines.  From my original Lakbayan post here.

Right now, I still have a grade of C- (which could be better).  I guess I have to find time to travel within the country more often.  But first I have to find time to earn the money I need to be able to travel.  Wish me luck.

My Lakbayan grade is C-!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.