CEB's Cebu-Pagadian Inaugural Flight

CEBU, Philippines - Pagadian City is considered as The Little Hong Kong of the South and the home of warm, peace-loving people. It sits at the northeast side of Western Mindanao and is considered as its largest province, the gateway to Lanao del Sur and the capital city of Zamboanga del Sur. Geographically, it is near Malaysia.

Travelers and backpackers who wish to experience what Pagadian has to offer can now be whisked away to this destination in just an hour via Cebu Pacific. CEB is bringing its trademark low fares to the people of Pagadian and its surrounding areas. Last April 27 marked the official launch of its maiden flight from Cebu to Pagadian and vise versa, the four-times-a-week service scheduled every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight leaves Cebu at 11:30AM and departs from Pagadian at 12:50PM.

CEB VP for Commercial Planning Alex Reyes specifically noted that they’re using the brand new, state-of-the-art ATR 72-500 for this particular route. The ATR is one of the most modern and reliable twin-turboprop in the market today. “It’s been in our fleet for more than two years already and it’s doing very well, servicing many of the routes, allowing Cebu Pacific to open up many new destinations,” he said.

With this newest destination, CEB is confident that they’ll be able to help increase the accessibility of not just Pagadian but the entire Zamboanga Peninsula and to bring in more local and foreign visitors. “When we started as a domestic airline in 1996, our vision was primarily to bring travel closer to people by offering affordable fares and by linking islands and destinations through transportation. With this expansion, the Philippines will be more accessible to travelers of varied economic background. By linking together the cities, we hope to spur trade, commerce and tourism throughout the Philippines. For the record, we’re now in 33 domestic destinations including Pagadian,” Reyes said.

Cebu Pacific’s inaugural flight also coincided with the re-launch of Pagadian’s two-kilometer airport that underwent renovations since 2007. CEB is the first airline company to fly in the Pagadian sky. “With the expansion of our new airport, it will surely lead us towards a faster development,” said Mayor Samuel Co. “With the reopening of the airport we hope to stimulate advances in tourism and economy in the entire area,” echoed Zamboanga del Sur governor Aurora Cerilles. 

Come June 9, the Manila-Pagadian (vise versa) route will officially roll.