Direct flights from Cebu to Xiamen pushed

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Rama said he is amenable to the suggestion of Philippine consulate general to Xiamen Julius Caesar A. Flores for the need to open direct flights to Xiamen, China from Cebu next year.

Rama promised that he would make a representation to Philippine Airlines to open new flights from Cebu to Xiamen and vice versa.

Flores’ suggestion came after the familiarization tour of media personalities from Xiamen in Manila and Cebu since last week.

Flores said the familiarization tour is one way to promote the city to Xiamen.

“I hope that next year  we can bring flights from Xiamen to Cebu that can bring in not just trade and business but also tourists which is an important matter,” Flores said.

The Xiamen journalists who were part of the tour also took part in promoting Cebu through social networking sites, Flores said.

“Since the day we arrived in the Philippines, the bloggers keep posting on their experiences and these bloggers have a thousand of followers, he said.

Rama is hopeful that the visit can attract more Xiamen residents to visit Cebu. He considered it as “a successful interaction” to have members of the Xiamen media come to Cebu.

“Precisely, this will give meaning more to our sister city pact with Xiamen” he said.

Rama also took note of the importance of the Chinese community in the Philippines as the Chinese are a part of the Philippine history.

Flores also suggested that Cebuanos, cultural groups and the media should visit Xiamen.

Xiamen, located in the southeast coast of China, is a tourist city of Fujian Province. It is famous for its attractive seascape.

On March 29 this year, Rama flew to Xiamen to renew the sisterhood ties between the Chinese city and Cebu City following 30 years of cooperation.

Xiamen has been helping the city of Cebu, the latest of which was the P600,000 cash donation for the construction of a new Cebu City Medical Center.

The participants of the tour included China Daily–Fuzhou bloggers Hu Meidong and Yang Jie; Xiamen C&D travel agent Lin Xin; XTG travel agent Ni Sijia; Fujian CITS Travel Agent Li Yahui; representatives from Sina.com Yang Feng and Huang Yijuan; from Xiamen Music Radio Hong Yan; from Xiamen Straits Magazine Lin Jianglin; PAL Xiamen Manager Joel Tiongson; interpreter Gerard Ryan Chan; consulate general Flores; and tourism promotions board coordinator Renato Panay. (FREEMAN)