26 flights cancelled due to Taal eruption

CEBU, Philippines — At least 25 domestic flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and one international flight for Dubai from Cebu were cancelled following the eruption of the Taal volcano Sunday.

Four other international flights also had to be diverted to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation said measures were put in place since Sunday to ensure the well-being of passengers affected by the flight disruptions, as well as for adequate communication and planning to optimize the capacity of the airport:

GMCAC said the following were initiated for in-terminal arrangements for stranded passengers:

• GMCAC has distributed bottled water and small food items on a need-basis to the passengers.

• Concessionaires stocked up on their supplies and inventory in Terminal 1 and 2 for all passengers. Meanwhile, some F&B and retail stores also offered discounts to stranded passengers since yesterday until 12 midnight of 14 January 2020.

• Bus service was provided to the airlines for inter-airport transfers as well as city hotel transfers for their stranded passengers.

For flight diversions, MCIA provided contingency parking spaces for the four aircrafts that were diverted here. The diverted flights were accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis provided there are aircraft parking facilities available.

Emergency flights instances such as fuel shortage and medical emergencies were also prioritized.

At the same time, MCIA ensured available capacity is maintained for its scheduled and planned flights.

GMCAC said the information counters at Terminal 1 and 2 were manned 24/7 to assist passengers. Passenger service agents also coordinated with different airlines to extend assistance to the passengers affected.

"We urge the passengers to coordinate with their respective airlines for their flight schedules before going to the airport," GMCAC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, while residents in Central Visayas need not worry about the effects of the Taal volcano eruption, health authorities say it is still best to take precautionary measures to protect the health, especially from ash fall.

“First, as much as possible, magbantay lang ta sa ash fall… mao ra man na atong kuan and as much as possible, mag-andam tag mask N95… sigi naman og balik sa TV but then kung lisod pangitaon ang N95 which is lisod man gyud so pwede ra tong mask but then ato lang butangan og handkerchief or tissue (Let’s keep an eye on the ash fall and be ready with N95 masks… but if we cannot find N95 masks, we can wear other masks and we support them with harkerchief or tissue),” said Dr. Shelbay Blanco of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) of the Department of Health - 7.

At the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Rev. Fr. Pacifico Nohara Jr. encouraged those affected by the eruption to keep their faith strong.

“Mao nga kami nag-ampo kaninyong tanan nga ang Ginoo magpadala kaninyo og intrumento ug sa inyo usab nga kabahin palig-ona ninyo inyong pagtuo, palig-ona ninyo ang inyong pagsalig kaniya, sangpit kamo kaniya kay siya lamang maoy makatabang kaninyo (We pray that the Lord will protect you and for you to be strong in faith… for you to call on the lord for help),” Nohara said.  JMO (FREEMAN)