DOT gives immediate aid to passengers in MCIA incident
TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco immediately directed the Department of Tourism Central Visayas (DOT-7) personnel to coordinate with the airport authorities and offer immediate assistance to tourists who were stranded after a Korean Air plane overshot the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) runway Sunday night.
In a statement, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said the agency remain in close coordination with relevant agencies such as the MCIA, the Department of Transportation, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation following the incident.
Reports from the DOT-7 office said (as of 10 a.m. ) Monday, there are 112 foreign nationals, 32 balikbayans and 18 overseas Filipino workers affected by the said incident.
The DOT has been assured by Korean Air officials that all tourists involved in the incident have been accounted for and are currently billeted at a nearby hotel, the statement said.
Meanwhile, some 530 stranded outbound international passengers have been accommodated in hotels shouldered by the concerned airlines.
The DOT has also received information that pending the resumption of flights at the MCIA, many of the tourists opted to maximize their extended stay by continuing tours of Cebu including the island of Mactan.
Tourists who have queries or need assistance are advised to proceed to the information counter at the MCIA or send an email to [email protected].
