The truth behind GMA's 'repat orders,' PAL's 'goodwill' flights
(Note: The writer is one of the hundreds of Filipino tourists stranded in Bangkok, Thailand since Nov. 27, 2008)
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Four hundred thirty-three Philippine-bound travelers stranded here for 5 days due to the airport shutdowns made it home last night. Thanks to the repatriation efforts of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo matched with the "goodwill" flight of Lucio Tan's Philippine Air Lines (PAL), it is less 433 stranded people here now. Latest Thai Tourism estimates placed the number at a "conservative" 100,000.
News wires reported that all 433 airlifted via said PAL flight are Filipinos. Not quite so, the passenger-manifest will prove with yesterday's trip actually repatriating and extending goodwill to a target group.
As soon as news got out Sunday of an authorized Philippine-bound flight out of Bangkok, word got around stranded Filipinos thus the rush to the PAL office here. There was a catch though made very clear by a PAL staff thereafter – PAL ticket holders, Filipinos or not, is the priority. Second priority is the 93 returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Kuwait who had the misfortune of making a stop-over in Bangkok. Last priority are stranded "other ticket holders," Filipinos yes, and non-Filipinos too.
Turned out that the Philippine Government's initial repatriation funding of US $15,000 was actually used to pay the 700 kilometer bus ride to Chiang Mai for confirmed PAL passengers. A portion of the fund too was used to pay for the plane tickets of the 93 OFWs. Other Filipinos from other airlines? Sorry. Not included in the "repat" plan. Or not yet, at least. At the moment, it remains to be "repat-yourself-at-your-own-cost."
Similar message echoed repeatedly by a PAL staff who announced to Filipinos standing-by the then cramped office "THIS IS A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT. NOT A RESCUE FLIGHT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO NON-PAL TICKET HOLDERS MUST BUY A TICKET AND BE ON THE STAND-BY LIST. BUT AGAIN, IF ANY OF OUR PAL PASSENGERS ARRIVE AT ANY TIME WE ARE PROCESSING THIS FLIGHT, THEY WILL GET THE PRIORITY."
Interestingly enough, visibly posted in the PAL glass doors and counter was the news item on PAL helping stranded Filipinos. The news item failed to note that help had certain restrictions and categories.
Yesterday's news further highlighted Tan's statement that "the repatriation was out of goodwill and solidarity with fellow countrymen caught in a crisis away from home."
In fact, Tan happily announced that stranded Filipinos had been given accommodations by PAL, "many of them ticket holders of Cebu Pacific."
True. Accommodations were indeed extended but not to forget the rest of it – IF and only IF 7,605 Baht (about P10,000) will be paid. And paying by credit card? Be prepared to pay an extra credit card charge of 5% as per PAL guideline.
Many who were on the "Standby-list" waiting to be included in the PAL flight could only shrug off their plight and fate.
So this writer's realization? Amazing Thailand? Yeah. But more amazing Philippines. Imagine help from your own government but with double-standards too. Aren't we all Filipinos in crisis here? Why the discrimination? And if the President was able to make arrangements with PAL, why can't the same be done with Cebu Pacific? This is a nightmare not only for Thailand but for other governments like ours. Responding yet responding wrongly.
At the height of Sunday's bookings and listings, a sudden outburst halted the operations with a confrontation from a group of Filipino travelers and a travel agent. Apparently, standby-list was affected with the travel agent's listing with the PAL manager here entering the fray to clarify matters.
Consolation though to the confirmed passengers with the check-in procedures done in the PAL office. While the bus that took the passengers to Chiang Mai, 700 kilometers north of Bangkok was paid for by the Philippine Government and not PAL. Bus travel is estimated to be between 9 to 10 hours.