PAL, HSMA tie up to extend booking assistance to Pinoys

PIONEERING flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has tied up with the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association Inc. (HSMA) to ensure that returning Filipinos from overseas have accommodations when they arrive in the country.

HSMA President Christine Ann U. Ibarreta told the Businessmirror her group has assured the carrier of 6,000 available rooms when the international flights land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). “PAL recently received approval to add more flights starting July 27 as Naia 2 [PAL Centennial Terminal] will open to accommodate returning overseas Filipinos,” she disclosed.

“HSMA will assist PAL; they will man the designated HSMA desk at [luggage] carousel 6, where they will verify hotel room accommodation and bus transfers to their respective hotels. Passengers will be asked to sign a letter of undertaking that they will follow the guidelines set by the IATF [Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] for the health and safety protocols,” she added.

She noted, representatives from the Department of Tourism (DOT) will likewise be present to assist the returning overseas Filipinos at carousel 7. Ibarreta said they expect three flights a day, or a minimum of 700 passengers a day at Naia 2. “Our desk will only deal with returning overseas Filipinos [ROFS], as the overseas Filipino workers [OFWS] are handled by the OWWA [Overseas Workers Welfare Administration],” Ibarreta underscored.

As per IATF rules, inbound airline passengers have to undergo an RT-PCR swab and hotel quarantine, while waiting for their Covid-19 test results.

A number of hotels in Metro Manila remain open but mainly serve as temporary quarantine quarters for ROFS and OFWS. The accommodations sector is among those badly hit by the Covid-19 outbreak, with many countries imposing outbound travel restrictions. As of May, losses suffered by the hotel industry were estimated at P22 billion, with establishments already cutting room rates for the ROFS and OFWS.

At present, Filipinos arriving from overseas include those who took business or holiday trips before the Luzon-wide lockdown was implemented on March 16 to contain the spread of Covid-19, young Filipinos studying abroad, and OFWS who had lost their jobs.

According to Ibarreta, upon arrival at Naia 2, the ROFS will have a briefing with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), then undergo a Covid-19 test at the swab test booth. “After, they go to carousel 6 and verify at the HSMA desk if they have hotel bookings or not. If they don’t have any bookings, we recommend the hotel, that’s why we asked for QR codes for easier contactless bookings,” she explained. Each PAL passenger and all hotels have unique QR codes to facilitate these bookings.

Once the ROF gets his hotel booking, the HSMA representative will stamp an HSMA logo with the ROF’S verified hotel booking and date of arrival on the letter of undertaking provided by PAL and the PCG.

The ROF then boards a bus, prearranged with Bel Air Transpo, and will pay on his own account. “Passengers pay for the bus ride onboard, while en-route to their destination. It is the same price for NCR [National Capital Region] hotels except for Alabang/ Muntinlupa. Assigned staff will accompany the passengers to ensure they go to hotels in which they are booked,” said the HSMA official.

Once the ROF receives his test result, if negative, he will approach the hotel’s front desk and ask for a print out of their PCG Certificate so he can check out. “If the ROF is positive, the hotel will advise PCG so they can discreetly check out the guest to transfer to a quarantine facility,” added Ibarreta.

HSMA is a group of hotel sales and marketing professionals in 120 hotels and resorts across the country.