The price of air travel within the Philippines has become a topic of discussion on social media. One particular route that has been in the spotlight of the Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) is the sub-2 hour hop between Manila and the popular resort island of Siargao.
The price of air travel within the Philippines has become a topic of discussion on social media. One particular route that has been in the spotlight of the Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) is the sub-2 hour hop between Manila and the popular resort island of Siargao in the southern part of the country. What brought the route to the transport regulator's attention was a roundtrip fare from Manila to Siargao with a cost of around PHP30,000 (~USD $525) – a fare that many point out is similar for the cost to travel from the Philippines to other parts of Asia including Japan and South Korea. While there are some upcoming talks that will take place between the transport regulator and the Philippine-based airlines regarding fares to popular tourist destinations, we will take a look at factors that make fares expensive and some potential solutions to the problem.
Manila-Siargao = PHP30,000 Rountrip
Leading the discussions about the current state of airfares for domestic travel in the Philippines is Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who was quoted in a report by onenews that the upcoming meeting between government officials and the airlines will take place on August 26.
According to the report (published on August 19), the major carriers of the Philippines will be represented by the Association of Air Carriers of the Philippines. The heads of the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), will join Dizon representing the Philippine government.
“I want to know why their fares are so expensive. At times, it is cheaper to go to Japan than to Siargao. To Siargao, it costs P25,000 to P30,000 (~USD $437-$525) ,” Dizon was quoted saying to The Philippine STAR.“I want to find out what the government can do. I know that this is a deregulated industry, but this is just too much.”
Dizon added that it is “difficult to understand” why fares are reaching the current rates when the fuel surcharge has been steady.
The reported fares to Siargao is not the first case to make headlines and trend on social media. Following complaints of one-way fares to the central Philippine city of Tacloban from Manila as high as PHP39,000 (~USD $682) on Malaysia-based Capital A's online booking platform AirAsia MOVE, the DOTr considered suing AirAsia MOVE – which is separate from the AirAsia airlines – for economic sabotage. Citing issues with the online booking system, AirAsia MOVE has since addressed the problems on the online pricing system though it received a fine of PHP 6 million (~USD $105,000) in June.
Limited Airport Facilities Lead to Limited Flights
Before the meeting about the PHP30,000 fare to Siargao was reported, a post X published on July 31 caught my attention. The post cited a roundtrip booking on a major airline from Manila to Siargao in early August for a total of around PHP 73,000 (~USD $1280). It did draw attention, and as of the writing of this article it has garnered over 644,000 views, over 9000 likes, and 233 replies. Upon a further check of the fares on the airline website, it was a booking for a departure around a week later for two passengers. There was no indication from the original author whether the tickets were purchased.
With the context of the situation, most experienced travelers will advise to “plan ahead and book early.” Fares are often substantially lower if booked for travel months ahead. In some cases it might actually be cheaper to depart from another airport.
For an example of an early booking on the Manila-Siargao route, a roundtrip ticket for travel in October can cost around PHP 10,000 (~USD $175). However, if the traveler wants to fly from Clark they can get a lower fare of around PHP 4,500 (~USD $80). While cheaper, those living in Manila or visitors coming from a connecting flight do need to make their own arrangements to get to/from Clark.
Visitors would be wise to heed such advise to book their travel early to get the best possible fares. However, often not considered are the residents of remote places such as Siargao who may need to make urgent, late bookings and as a result encounter the higher fares. While considered as a paradise by residents and those who visit, it can be a difficult place to get to. Despite the strong demand, the airport facilities are limited. As a result, flights to/from the island are limited.
Located in the central part of Siargao Island in the municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao Airport features a runway of around 1300m. The airport currently can accommodate small turboprop aircraft such as Cebu Pacific's ATR-72s and Philippine Airlines' Dash-8 which have a capacity of less than 100 passengers. The runway is not capable of accommodating the larger jet aircraft such as an Airbus A320 – with a higher capacity of around 180 seats (Philippine Airlines PAL Express A320 configuration). Depending on conditions such as weather and payload, an A320 will need runway with a length of around 2000m.
In addition to the short runway, the passenger terminal and apron space at the airport is limited. Without the equipment for night operations, flights are usually operated during the daytime.
Siargao Flight Operations and Philippine Government's Shifting of Turboprop Aircraft Operations Away from NAIA
In line with the efforts to help decongest the main air hub of Manila and the Philippines, both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have announced plans to shift flights using turboprop aircraft away from NAIA to both Clark and Cebu. This includes flights between Manila and Siargao. While Philippine Airlines operates three daily flights on the Manila-Siargao route, Cebu Pacific has already completed its shift its flights from the capital city area to Siargao to depart from Clark since March 2025.
So it will come to a surprise to many Filipino and foreign visitors that the busiest route to/from Siargao is not Manila-Siargao, but instead from Cebu. Three airlines – Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Sunlight Air operate around 72 weekly flights on the Cebu-Siargao route (based on data from flightradar24). The next busiest route to Siargao is from Clark with 30 weekly followed by Manila with 21 weekly. Cebu Pacific operates the five-weekly flights between Davao and Siargao.
As the shift of turboprop aircraft operations away from NAIA continues, we could see a further reduction of Manila-Siargao flights except for limited services which Philippine Airlines has stated it would maintain essential air links for Greater Manila residents and serve passengers connecting from international flights. It can be expected fares will rise for the limited seats on the direct flights from Manila.
Solutions for Siargao, Airlines, and Passengers
In early August, expansion work began at Siargao Airport which when completed in 2026 would increase the size and boost the capacity of the passenger terminal building. While more room for additional passenger traffic in the terminal building would be welcome, the governments of the Philippines and Siargao Island may need to consider further steps to address the travel demands and the issue of limited flights. Further discussions should be started on whether Siargao Airport should take steps to open up for night operations, and to expand the airport facilities which would include lengthening the runway to accommodate larger aircraft such as the A320.
With a reliance on online booking systems, there will be instances when airline and travel booking sites will display seemingly higher than normal fares – especially if the search is close to the departure date and available seats are limited. On the opposite end, there have also been instances reported of lower, “mistake fares” that savvy travelers take advantage of. Considering the mix of factors such as flawed online booking systems and limited flights to destinations such as Siargao, visitors do need to adhere to the classic advice of planning and booking their travels early to get the best possible airfares. However, there is no magic solution for residents who do need to make last-minute bookings unless more flights can be accommodated.
The shift of turboprop-operated flights in the Mega Manila area by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific – including flights to/from Siargao - away from NAIA to Clark should be considered for those living the region. Fares may be lower from Clark compared to NAIA, though the problem of getting to/from Clark emerges. In addition to enhancing ground transport options between Manila and Clark, the Philippine-based carriers could look into offering services similar to Emirates' bus connection for its customers departing from Clark.
Knowing the majority of flights to Siargao depart from Cebu, flight options with connections in Cebu may also yield lower fares despite not being the most convenient option. Foreign visitors should also consider entering the Philippines via Cebu if their first intended destination in the Philippines is Siargao.
To address the issue of high fares to high demand destinations with limited flights in the Philippines such as to Siargao, there needs to be actions taken by all parties – the governments of the Philippines and Siargao, the airlines, and the traveling public.
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