On the map, the distance between Manila and the island of Marinduque is only 159 kilometers. It sounds close enough, but the traditional way of getting there suggests otherwise. To travel to the island in Luzon’s MIMAROPA region, those from Manila normally take a four-hour drive south to the Dalahican Port in Lucena City, Quezon Province, then get on a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) ferry for the three-hour ride to Balanacan Port in Marinduque.
While the beautiful sights and fun activities awaiting travelers on the island make the long journey seem worth it, there’s finally a better and much faster way to get there. This coming April 1, Cebu Pacific through its subsidiary Cebgo will be operating flights between Manila and Marinduque every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, making use of its brand-new ATR aircraft fleet.
“We are excited to begin operations in one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines—Marinduque,” said Alexander Lao, President and CEO of Cebgo, “It takes only about an hour to fly between Manila and Marinduque—in contrast to the eight-hour trip by ferry and land today. Regular flights will allow business to prosper and the island’s tourism sector to boom.”
The announcement couldn’t have come at a better time for travelers, as the Moriones Festival, one of Marinduque’s most popular tourist attractions, takes place during Holy Week, on April 14 to 21 this year. Believed to have been celebrated in the province since 1887, the week-long festival sees revelers dressing up as Roman centurions complete with colorful masks, called “morion.” For seven days they roam the city, “frightening” the city’s children while pretending to look for Longinus, the centurion who later converted to Christianity after piercing Jesus of Nazareth’s side with a spear.
With regular flights from NAIA Terminal 4 in Manila, more tourists are going to fall in love with the human heart-shaped province, believes Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Jay Velasco. “It was a long and tedious process to bring about this route. We are thankful for the collaboration and cooperation of various government agencies for the completion of the runway and terminal facilities at the Marinduque Airport. We are optimistic that with larger aircraft and regular flights, tourists will have greater access to Marinduque and harness its potential as a world-class eco-tourism destination. We look forward to partnering with Cebu Pacific and other stakeholders as we strive for progress in Marinduque through sustainable tourism,” he said.
The island is also famous for its beaches. This one is Poctoy White Beach.
Following the peak Holy Week season, tourists flock to Marinduque to visit its many beaches, to go island hopping (the islands of Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar are especially popular, along with Maniwaya island), to marvel at old churches (Boac Cathedral and Sta. Cruz Church), and take photos under the Ungab rock formation.
Aside from Marinduque, Cebu Pacific also operates flights to up-and-coming tourist destinations such as Masbate, Siargao, Camiguin, and Virac.
Cebu Pacific operates flights out of seven other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Clark, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan), and Davao. The combined CEB and Cebgo network covers a total of 37 domestic and 26 international destinations and over 107 routes spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and USA.
Celebrating the launch of the Manila-Marinduque route, a special seat sale takes place from March 6 to 13, 2019, with prices starting at PHP499 (base fare). Travel period is from April 1 to October 26, 2019. For bookings and inquiries, guests can visit www.cebupacificair.com. The latest seat sales can be found on CEB’s official Twitter (@CebuPacificAir) and Facebook pages.
