Palawan’s provincial board wants turboprop flights to Coron, El Nido, and San Vicente returned to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), saying the move to Clark has made travel longer and more expensive for tourists, Palawan News reported.
The board approved Resolution No. 0845-26, authored by Provincial Board Member Roseller Pineda, during its session on Tuesday, October 13. The resolution asks the Department of Tourism and the Office of the President to help bring the flights back to NAIA Terminal 2.
Why the Flights Moved
In March 2026, the Department of Transportation’s Manila Slot Coordination Committee moved these flights to Clark. The aim was to decongest NAIA and free up runway and terminal slots for larger jets.
The airports in Coron, El Nido, and San Vicente can only handle turboprop planes, so they were directly affected.
The Problem for Travelers
Passengers now have to travel by land from NAIA to Clark before catching their flights. Pineda said the trip usually takes two to three hours but can stretch to 10 hours during flooding.
“This adds expense and travel time to every tourist, and it discourages travel to our province,” he said.
Pineda’s Arguments
- Livelihoods: Tourism supports thousands of jobs in Palawan, especially in Coron, El Nido, and San Vicente.
- Falling traffic: He cited reports that domestic passenger traffic at NAIA has dropped since the transfer.
- Little congestion impact: Turboprops carry fewer passengers than jets, so bringing them back would not significantly worsen congestion, he argued.
Pineda said the board had earlier asked for the transfer to be suspended, and that similar concerns have been raised in the Senate.
“This resolution is a request to make Palawan more accessible, to help boost our tourist arrivals and to protect the livelihood of our people,” he said.
What’s Next
The resolution goes to the Department of Tourism and the Office of the President. Palawan News did not report any response from national agencies yet.
