Pamintuan said Philexport is consolidating the group’s stand to push for the opening of direct flights from Tokyo to Davao. She said Davao exporters can come up with enough volume — not only of highly perishable goods like tuna but also of gifts, toys and housewares and fashion accessories products — to make such direct flights viable.
The Japanese have been one of the top visitors to Davao, a city known before World War II as “Little Tokyo” because of the existence of a large population of migrant Japanese workers, who came to the country at the turn of the century to work in its thriving abaca plantations. “With the Japanese tourists our top visitors and the existence of the Japanese village in Davao, I think that a direct commercial flight from Davao to Tokyo has always been viable,” said Pamintuan.
But Aquino told exporters to concentrate first on the cargo volume as their best argument for the opening of direct flights because, he said, there’s a much bigger demand for cargo traffic rather than passenger traffic in this part of the country.
“You should focus on the cargo first because you’ve also been importing goods from Japan. It will be easier to negotiate for such direct flights.” He also told exporters not to wait for government to make the move but initiate it themselves. (Germelina A. Lacorte/davaotoday.com)
[tags]davao, davao exports, tuna, jpepa, transportation, little tokyo, davao business[/tags]
Food
