Part II: The UNFORGETTABLE and TRAUMATIC encounter with the CebuPac Staff in Busuanga, Coron

I suggest you read first the PART I.

Continuation....

We went back to Coron town proper.  Mixed emotions. Gigil pa rin at hindi makapaniwala sa ginawang pagi- iwan ng mismong manager pa ha, sa gitna ng ganoong sitwasyon namin.

Fortunately, pagkatapos ng anim na oras ng pakikipag talastasan sa staff ng Cebupac (walang nangyari) Kuya Joy was still waiting for our family.  Sanay na daw sila sa ganoong eksena. It was usual case na daw ang mga delayed flights saCoron pero hindi pa rin daw nila na encounter yung ganitong katagal na extension. Kaya pag merong delays/ cancellation naghihintay pa rin sila sa terminal para isakay ulit sa Van.  Walang ibang mode of transpo (for tourist) sa Coron kundi Van.

On the bright side:

At the town proper, we have 3 vans. Lahat kaming stranded ay nagsama-sama sa isang bahay. BONDING TIME with co- stranded passengers. We temporarily settled- in at Kubo Lodge, the free accommodation provided by the Municipality of Coron with the help of the Tourist OIC. Thank you for that Mam (I forgot her name, too bad for me). We told her all the incidents happened in the airport. The treatment we got from the staff of Cebu Pacific and she promised us that tom, we would have a word with the Vice Mayor. Mayor Hagedorn that time has another prior commitments.

Very coomfortable house, can occupy up to 20- 40 persons

The Kubo Lodge where we stayed for one night is very pleasant, clean and spacious. Kuya Joy until that time was assisting us. He's very nice person.  He even suggested that we should transfer to the other room. He noticed that it has its own rest room inside the bedroom. So we did, transferred. Thanks Kuya Joy sa pagaalaga at concern with my family.

Si Papa. Happy Birthday on that time.  Sorry for what happened to your birthday! But it's such an EXPERIENCE!



While waiting for the dinner (each group has to shell out 100+), we started calling our contacts in Manila to book us in Air Philexpress.  We got it 2000+ each.  Hay, gastos na naman. But thanks to Trel so much.

Prior to that booking, I have called Kuya Jhong (0908-4499523) who's our contact in Coron and the town councilor.  I've asked assistance from him to help us so we can get flight on the next day. We cannot let the family to stay more than that time because of some errands in Manila. She referred me to his wife. Ms. Michelle who eventually is working on Airphil.  Thank you Ms. Michelle who has been very patient din sa pagasikaso sa mga bookings inquiry ko. 

At night, we all had time to discuss and reminicse the things just unexpectedly happened to all of us......

Our 3d2n Coron tour became 3d3n due to flight cancellation made by Cebu Pac. Their reason, bad weather.

Granted. That is a common case in any airlines.  Delays or cancellation of flights wihtin 24 hours (1 -day) is acceptable but beyond that is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

But the Cebu Pac Staff in Busuanga wanted to hold us back then in 6days!

At ito pa masama:

• We will be a chance passenger!
• The staff cannot give us a valid reason of holding us that long and cannot do something about it!
• The station manager has no right to be in that position, she just left us all at the airport with no any solid feedback from their main office. Very incompetent!
• NO any compensation
• NO FREE Accomodation
• NO Transpo and
• NO Food allowance!!!

And niether of our options did'nt granted:

• Make it only a 24hours of cancellation. We all have work left in Manila!!!!
• Have one plane to accomodate all 25 persons who are stranded.
• I -squeeze nila kami sa mga next flights
• or at least, first in - first out.

They're reasoning out that they cannot do it. They'll need to give priority to those who are next in line. Who has booking also. "Eh, bakit, nag booked din kami at hindi basta promo fare and inavail namin sa inyo (most of the passengers) but a quite expensive one, tapos gagantuhin niyo lang kami. Bakit hindi ninyo kami i - accomodate in the next flights then i adjust lahat ng flights accordingly. Eh ang nangyari tuloy kami lang lahat ang suffer at nag compromise ah?!"

And this Belgian kept on shouting lahat ng klase ng panlalait at pagmumura sa company.
Still, the team keep staring on us.....!

The next day, Thursday June 9, 2011.

Finally, our family booked already and sure na kami sa Airphil kesa umasa sa walang kasiguruhang Cebu pac. I have the one who arranged the booking for other passengers na kasama namin thru Ms. Michelle. It costs them 2800+ each though. Thanks po sa mga tumulong samin, Trel, Kuya Jhong, Kuya Joy and Ms. Michelle!  Vey much appreciated.

We went back to the airport, this time calmer na ang lahat though there were few "hot talks" pa rin because they still cannot accomodate us. They only arranged the flight for that day yung belgian, GF nya at ung isa pang guy. (Sus, pede naman pala, pinatagal pa).

While kaming lahat na naiwan, na talagang cannot be confirmed ang flight, umalis with the Airphil. 

Though, umuulan pa rin at least, we made it.  

Thanks to Airphil staff na super babait din sa family ko. They allowed our family to stay comfortably in one room while waiting for our flight.  The Airphil staff also let us to be part of the 12nn flight kahit pang 3pm pa booking namin but unfortunately, it was cancelled again due to bad weather :(

At least they knew how to handle it and they really did explain to their passengers the reasons of cancellation plus they confirmed a sure flight with their passengers tomorrow. At least...at least malinaw unlike Cebu pac!

So, the family stick to 3pm flight na hindi na nakansel.

THANKS po talaga sa mga tumulong.

It was such an experience talaga for all of us.

Note:
So what we're gonna do sa perang hindi naman namin nagamit? Eh, it cannot be refunded pag weather ang dahilan ng cancellation.  So, they just given us a certificate of flight cancellation.  Pero yung perang un, hindi sayang. Magagamit mo yun sa ibang flights mo din sa Cebu pac nga lang ulit. hehehe, no choice ba. Within 3 months after the cancellation, kailangan booked kana ulit. Like we're doing right now....But the flight schedule might be at any time you prefer.

We'll be back to Coron but I'll make sure, it would not be on a bad weather! No more raining please.

OVERALL COMMENTS:
Experience is such a part of your life you never wanted to miss...
Coron trip was unique, extreme and memorable talaga. All emotions are there in.  You can never ask for more..hehe :>

Here's the family vacation trip escapade:
Coron DAY 1
Coron DAY 2
Coron DAY 3

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The UNFORGETTABLE and TRAUMATIC encounter with the CebuPac Staff in Busuanga, Coron

June 8, 2011 (Wednesday)

Last day in Coron.

It's also my father's birthday! (That's why we planned this family vacation).

It was raining. 

While waiting for Kuya Joy to pick us up going airport, we checked our flight status via internet.  It was an awe to find out that there was no any information written in our flight schedule. NO STATUS. It was plain BLANK.

We arrived at Busuanga airport @ 12:30pm. No less than an hour, the staff announced that our flight has cancelled! Passengers who have comfortably fall in line after the announcement became anxious, have started worrying and became so...eventually furious.....

At first, hindi ako nakikialam. I was remained in line, just listening to the several arguments going on. I was positively hoping and praying na ang flight namin ay hindi nakasama sa mga na cancelled though I have a dreadful hint already......I could hear the passenger's tantrums and a far cry in front of the line.

I waited until it's my turn to ask the Cebu Pac staff..  

"Ate pa check naman po itong flight namin kung anu status", ang tanong ko sa staff. She get our itinerary copy and got back to me and said..

"Ma'am, Monday na po kayo".  (Freeze)

Parang nabingi ako sa sinabi ng staff. Kung nung una, I was in controll but when I heard what she just told me, uminit ang ulo ko but still pinigil ko pa rin ang sarili ko and in- insist ko i check ulit kailan kami pwede. The staff was so persistent that they can only accommodate us on Monday. She said sorry when I started panicking and outburst. Pinigil kong di ulit magalit ng sobra because I was with my family especially I was with my parents.  Pero malupet talaga itong mga staff, matitigas sila! 

All passengers where shouting then, asking for VALID REASONS why they're holding us that long!! That was sh*t!! Some of us can accommodate on Saturday (June11) and my family was worst - on Monday (June 13)! 

That was TOOOOO MUCH to bear!! "

  

"Anu bang dahilan, bakit ganon katagal"!!!! Tinanong ko muli ang staff at sinabi niyang, "Sorry Ma'am, ganun po talaga, my mga nauna na po kaya sila po uunahin namin. Isisingit nalang po namin kayo. But we cannot confirm it but as long as there will be a vacancy, ibibigay po namin sa inyo. Nako! Mapapamura ka ulit sa rason!! Sa daming pasahero na stranded ng ganung katagal, marami sa amin ang humihingi ng magandang rason kung bakit nga ganun katagal! Ngayon lang ako nakarinig na hinold ng ganung katagal! WALANG FREE ACCOMMODATION! ALL EXPENSE WILL BE SHOULDERED BY THE PASSENGERS na istranded ng ilang araw and it wasn't even our fault in the first place! Spell mo to, cge nga...A.S.A.R!!!!

Okay, they gave one reason why their plane didn't landed in Coron. Coron declared "zero visibility due to bad weather". Okay..noted, safety first. Pero after a while, the one that made all the passengers even more mad was when we witnessed Airphil successfully landed in Coron while they cannot! Grrrr! Ang hina di ba.

Pero their reasons cannot explained and justified bakit nila kami ganun katagal ihohold!!

Plus, there was this porenger, a Belgian who has connecting flight pa going Cagayan de Oro na galit na galit kase hindi magawan ng way ng Cebupac ang flight niya kaya galit na galit siya! U cannot imagine how did we, especially him reacted on that kind of very frustrating situation. We're actually shouting at the staff, force them to do something with our hopeless situation, pero wala silang masabi. Even the manager on that station, she cannot faced us because we're all so mad at them why they cannot explain, why they cannot give any concrete solution to this problem!!! Other nationalities who has connecting flights also, has to force themselves to book at Air Philexpress just to catch their connecting flights. Sus!

Almost after 5 hours of yelling and asking for someone to give us an explanation, the station manager finally  faced us.  She said that she's communicating with the manila office already but until that time, there was no feedback. Soooooo!!? What's now! Ano! Anung gagawin namin dito. Paano na kami, ni wala nga kayong maibigay ni kahit anung free lodging, food and transpo eh! Anu, hanggang kailan nyo kami iho -hold dito?!  

Hi blood talaga mga tao that time. As in kaming tatlong magkakapatid became so totally different and wild! Kahit makita na ng parents namin, go pa rin sa pagtatanung at pagsigaw!  We wanted a valid reasons eh. Ang hinihingi nga lang namin ay consideration. I -squeeze nila kami with all the flights accordingly.  Kahit pa isa- isa  or magpadala ang cebupac ng one plane just to accommodate us, ilan lang ba kami, we're only 20 or 25 then. Pero  hindi nila magawa. So we thought, nagtitipid sila. They didn't want to bring us one plane or at least add one flight for us kase nga ayaw nila gumastos!! All the options we offered, sa kabutihang palad, ayun ni isa walang nangyari, they turned it all down!!

Dumidilim na pero wala pa rin silang malinaw na sagot samin. The most I worried about was the brownout, our jobs left in Manila not to mention the additional expenses that the family will need to spend in case they will hold us until those days. At ito pa, may 2 kaming kasamang stranded na P300.00 na lang ang pera. So, that was the hardest part, we (with my 2 siblings) were so mad that time because of these people. Panu na sila?! Okay lang ang family namin, though we have resources, we pitied those people na super budgeted lang ang nilaan para sa trip na ito?!! Kaya talaga we're really so pissed off!!!

All security guards and police were still at the station, watching over us baka kasi magkagulo bet. the Belgian (who's until that time, was really annoyed due to the airline's policy) vs. the Cebupac staff.  Pero, anu ang ginawa ng staff especially the station manager, she just sneakily get off the station and fly fly na siya sa kanilang service van para umuwi! GALING diba! Husay na manager. No exact reasons were given to us and didn't do anything! Basta, tumakas na siya kasabay nang ibang staff.

Despite of what happened, we just cheered ourselves and decided to go ask for help of Mayor Hagedorn....

We went back to Coron town proper with the other stranded passengers. We're just hoping that there will be a positive discussion with Mayor the next day. :p

To be continue......

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