A PHILLIPPINE FAIRYTALE - Chennai to Manila - 2/3 December 2022

The plan to visit Philippines has been ongoing since 2019. The rude intervention of the Covid pandemic and certain other priorities pushed the plans till now. The schedule is to travel in the first fortnight of December to Manila, El Nido and Cebu. Philippines, a country named after the Spanish King, King Phillip II, is an archipelago stitching together over 7600 islands. Philippines gained independence from Spanish rule in 1898 and from USA in 1946. Tagalog and English are the official languages of the country, which is overwhelmingly Christian in religious orientation. Manila is the capital of the country and Peso (PHP) is the official currency; 1 PHP is equivalent to 1.45 INR and 1 USD approximates to 56 PHP.

Philippines is transitioning from an agricultural economy to one dependent more on services and manufacturing, which accounts for 75 percent of employment and contributes over 90 percent of the GDP of USD 370 billion. Another major contributor to the economy is overseas remittances which is about 8 percent of the GDP. Tourism, which was a mainstay for employment, took a hit during the pandemic. The government is trying to recover lost ground by putting in place certain tourist friendly policies. One such is the facility of visa free entry for Indians, with a live US Visa, for a duration of 14 days or less, like what Kazakhstan had initiated and benefitted greatly. Another measure that could boost tourist arrivals into Philippines from India would be direct flights from Mumbai, Chennai and Cochin instead of changing crafts in Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur. It is reliably learnt that Air India is likely to start a new schedule directly from Chennai to Manila, besides other popular South East Asian destinations, in early 2023. That would be most welcome, provided it is cost effective as compared to existing services.

I had booked my tickets from Chennai to Manila via Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia and the return was from Cebu to Chennai via Kuala Lumpur. A couple of weeks ago I was informed that the Cebu Chennai flight has been cancelled. Mercifully, I had used Network Tours and Travels, Surat to book the tickets. Rajiv Shah reworked the itinerary and got me tickets from Cebu to Chennai via Manila and Kuala Lumpur for an additional fee. It is in circumstances such as these that the invaluable contribution of a travel agent comes to the fore. Communicating with the airline for refund and rebooking is onerous and taxing.

The check-in and immigration at Chennai International airport were smooth. However, for no apparent reason only three security lines were functional with attendant long queues and delay. Making people trudge slowly in queues is a habit in our country. The gates and facilities at the Chennai International airport are pathetic. I spent a few hours at the lounge, over a drink and dinner, as the flight was delayed by about an hour. The flight was choc a bloc, but the Malaysian crew handled the situation well.

The flight got into Kuala Lumpur 45 minutes behind schedule, where I had to switch airplanes for the schedule to Manila. What a refreshing change even the Air Asia terminal was in comparison to the Chennai International terminal! Security was done and dusted in 10 minutes and I grabbed a couple of cream buns and a cup of coffee from a Coffeebot machine. The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Manila was nearly full too.

Despite the slightly delayed start from Kuala Lumpur the flight was ready to descend to the Ninoy Aquino international Airport, Manila shortly after noon, local time. However, we had to hover around for a while due to traffic. The flight was 10th in order of landing priority. Finally, we landed 15 minutes late at half past the noon hour. While immigration was hassleless the wait for baggage was endless.

After an hour, a solitary Air Asia staff told a stunned assembly that few baggage was not loaded from Kuala Lumpur airport because of belt malfunction. And, behold the bolt, they have not been able to trace the baggage in Kuala Lumpur either! Some passengers let their lungs do the talking and the hapless staffer handed over claim forms, stating that the bags would be delivered to the hotel by night. However, he was unable to confirm the flight by which the luggage would be received.

Disappointed and frustrated, with no clothes to change into or toiletries to freshen up, after filing the complaint and taking the number to contact the staff, I proceeded to exchange a few USD to local currency, 1 USD equalled 55.4 PHP. Next exercise was to source a sim card that would afford adequate data and local calls. At 1000 PHP I fetched a Smart sim card with unlimited local talk-time, messaging and 73 GB data; the counter executive activated the same and I was connected in Manila.

I had to get to the Airbnb accommodation I had booked near the Robinsons Place. While a Grab taxi costed the fare at 485 PHP, a private taxi service blew my mind with a fare of 2400 PHP. I had to wait about 15 minutes for the Grab ride, which took me through clogged streets and highway roads in about 40 minutes to the correct address. Abigael was at hand to make me comfortable in the room that overlooked the Manila Bay at a distance. After a short rest I made a call to the contact number I had been given to trace the luggage. Besides a pious assurance there was little else and there rested the matter for the rest of the day!