LAKBAYAN: SEAIR flies to Laoag, offers PHP 599 promo

Southeast Asian Airlines, Inc. (SEAIR), in partnership with Tiger Airways, recently announced that it will start flying to its newest destination, Laoag, on April 4, 2013. Flights will originate from the Manila Domestic Airport or Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 4.

SEAIR is offering introductory fares to Laoag at PHP 599 for travel on April 4 to August 31, 2013. Passengers must book their tickets via www.tigerairways.com to avail of the special rates until February 21, 2013.

The northernmost city of Laoag is the capital of Ilocos Norte. Laoag means “light” in Ilocano and the city is nicknamed “Sunshine City” for its year-round sunny weather. Laoag has an interesting mix of tradition and modernity, reflecting Spanish and Ilocano heritage. Kalesas or horse carriages still cruise the streets of downtown Laoag, bustling as it is with numerous business establishments, as the city is also the center of trade and commerce in the region. For history buffs, must-see sites include the Museo Ilocos Norte, which houses prehistoric tools that were used for hunting and fishing by early settlers, and the Sinking Bell Tower of St. William’s Cathedral, the largest and tallest in the country at 45 meters. Gourmands can explore the city through partaking of popular local dishes like bagnet (crispy pork belly),longganisa (sweet sausage links), empanada (a deep fried pastry stuffed with longganisa), and the simple but tasty vegetable soup dinengdeng.

Laoag is also the best jump-off point to some of the most breathtaking sights and destinations in the north such as Kabigan Falls and Blue Lagoon Cove in Pagudpud; the windmills in Bangui; Paoay Lake National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Paoay Church, and the Malacañang of the North or Balay ti Amianan (former President Marcos's official residence in Ilocos Norte) in Paoay; Cape Bojeador in Burgos; and the Sand Dunes of La Paz.

SEAIR will offer daily Manila-Laoag flights scheduled at 1:00 p.m. and Laoag-Manila flights at 3:00 p.m. It uses new A319 and A320 aircraft, which can accommodate up to 180 passengers.

SEAIR is a 40-percent-owned associate airline of Tiger Airways Holdings. SEAIR adopts Tiger Airways’ business model and offers value fares to domestic and international destinations within a five-hour flying radius of the Philippines.