No Visa required for Both; Israel Seeks Direct Flights to the Philippines

 

The Israel governments seeking to establish direct flights to Manila in an effort to increase exchanges between the two countries particularly in trade and tourism.

 

According to Israeli diplomats, aviation officials from both countries are at an advanced stage of negotiations in their efforts to make revisions to an outdated sixty year old air services agreement. The plan is to establish direct flights between the two countries.

 

Israeli Ambassador Menashe Bar-On said that once all of the small details have been ironed out, the delegations from each country will meet to a sign a new up-to-date air services agreement. "We are updating the current agreement which is 60 years old," said Bar-On. "We're updating the requirements for aviation and international regulations. Once it is finished, it will pave the way for airlines to make new business."

 

A direct link would enhance the level of exchange between the two countries particularly in the area of tourism as citizens of Israel and the Philippines are able to enter each country without a visa. According to Chaim Choshen, the top Israeli diplomat for Southeast Asia, the potential for exchange between the two countries is huge. "I think there is huge potential because Israel is the Holy Land, and most of the population of the Philippines are Christians and Catholics," said Choshen. "I think the Holy Land means something to most Filipinos. I think almost every Filipino has a dream to visit the Holy Land."

 

However, Filipinos aren't the only citizens expected to book flights. The Philippines could prove to be an attractive destination for Israeli tourists. Thailand has seen much success receiving nearly 200,000 Israeli tourists annually aboard twice-daily direct flights between the two countries. But Israeli tourists wishing to head to the Philippines must currently connect in Hong Kong or Bangkok.

 

"I think the Philippines can be very attractive to young Israelis. A lot of Israelis are touring Asia and are looking for cheaper destinations," said Choshen. "It's a beautiful country with beaches. You have a lot to offer and Manila has many restaurants."

 

If young Israeli's are indeed looking for cheaper destinations, then Cebu Pacific would be an ideal carrier to launch the route. But Israel is interested in inviting Philippine Airlines to fly directly to its cities following the European Union's decision to permit the airline once again into European air space. "I think these are very meaningful developments that we recognize are very promising," Choshen said.

 

Current statistics indicate that more Filipinos are travelling to Israel than Israelis coming to the Philippines. Last year, 13,450 Filipinos visited the Holy Land while only 5,895 Israelis came to the Philippines. But improved flight connections and increased tourism promotion in the Israeli market could be lucrative as the Philippines seeks to steal the 200,000 Israeli tourists currently headed to Thailand.

 

"The direct route will also help boost trade ties between the two countries, currently at a level that lags behind other Asian countries," said Choshen. Trade between the two countries currently sits at around $200 million. That is compared to $1.1 billion with Vietnam and $5 billion with India. Israel currently exports information technology, electrical and medical products to the Philippines.

 

Philippine Flight Network

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Czech Inekon Railway Blacklisted by DOTC ex chief MAR ROXAS – for refusing to pay $30 Million USD (₱1.3 Billion Pesos) Red-tape

Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II (MAR ROXAS), a Former Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Chief; whom during his term, DOTC Execs ask $30 Million USD from a Czech Railway firm  to win a supply contract for the DOTC's MRT3 expansion project 

DOTC execs tagged in $30 Million US Dollars (₱1.3 Billion Peso) shakedown with the European Czechs'   Inekon fuming scandal for under the table (Red-tape) that involves former DOTC chief (MAR ROXAS) Manuel Roxas II.

 

DOTC Executives involve in the Czechs'   Inekon  - Philippine DOTC $30 Million Scandal remained in their DOTC position and even promoted, the following:

1.  Jose Perpetuo "Juju" Lotilla,
2. Rene "Timmy" Limcaoco,
3. Catherine Gonzales
4. Jaime "Jim" Feliciano.

 

All of them are still at the DOTC.  Catherine Gonzales, who came in as an assistant secretary, has since been promoted to undersecretary.

 

Inekon, a Czech company a top 100 corporations in the Czech Republic and is involved in railway projects in several European countries and the United States speak-up for former DOTC Chief MAR ROXAS's involvement for demanding $30 Million US Dollars (₱1.3 Billion Peso) to win a supply contract for the DOTC's MRT3 expansion project.

 

One of their companies, Inekon, has been blacklisted by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), barred from bidding to supply trains for the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3).

 

The blacklist followed a meeting at the DOTC in July last 2012, during which, one of those present alleged, department officials asked the Inekon Group executives for $30 million US Dollars if they wanted the supply contract.

 

Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar, who accompanied the Inekon delegation to the DOTC, reportedly advised his compatriots not to engage in corruption.

 

The amount was allegedly whittled down to $2.5 million. When the Czechs still didn't give in, their project proposal, first endorsed to the DOTC three years ago by the Czech government, was scuttled and the company blacklisted.

 

The DOTC was headed at the time by (MAR ROXAS) Manuel Roxas II, and the department officials who met with the Czechs were his recruits. They included Jose Perpetuo "Juju" Lotilla, Rene "Timmy" Limcaoco, Catherine Gonzales and Jaime "Jim" Feliciano. All of them are still at the DOTC. Gonzales, who came in as an assistant secretary, has since been promoted to undersecretary.

 

When Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash and Roxas left the DOTC to take over the Department of the Interior and Local Government, his recruits were left behind, and Inekon remained barred from the MRT-3 project.

 

Last April, Czech Ambassador to the Philippines Josef Rychtar met with new DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and related details of the July meeting. There was no action from the DOTC.

 

Late last month, news reports emerged, citing unnamed sources, that President Aquino's eldest sister Ballsy, her husband Eldon Cruz, former DOTC head Pete Prado and Steve Psinakis, a son-in-law of the late Eugenio Lopez Sr. and consultant and adviser of First Philippine Holdings Corp. and Benpres Holdings Corp., had asked Inekon for $30 million to facilitate the contract.

 

Czech's Rychtar criticized Aquino's Straight Path for "Slow Action" But vowed to prove that President Aquino's eldest sister Ballsy, her husband Eldon Cruz are innocent

 

An exasperated Rychtar then sent a letter to President Aquino, dated June 29, 2013 and received by Malacañang nearly two weeks ago, clearing the Cruz couple and Prado, and raising the same issues he had discussed with Abaya.

 

Rychtar followed this up with another meeting last Wednesday with Abaya.

 

I am so mad," Rychtar told The STAR the other night. "In other countries, an investigation would have been conducted at once."

 

He wondered why an administration that purports to focus on the fight against corruption and on taking the straight path or daang matuwid has been slow to act on the issue.

 

Worse, Rychtar said, "the innocent are the ones getting hurt" – referring in particular to Ballsy and Eldon Cruz.

 

The ambassador knows the Cruz couple personally and said the stories against them are "completely false."

 

Rychtar said he was ready to talk and face probers if needed.

 

No commissions

 

In his letter to the President, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, Rychtar wrote: "The Czech proposal for the MRT3 capacity expansion and modernization is a government-to-government deal which cannot contain any provisions for commissions."

 

Over the past three years, according to the letter, the Czech Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs had transmitted more than 10 official letters to the Philippine government and submitted to the DOTC "booklets of extensive technical plans and financial proposals in order to comply with Philippine Procurement Procedures."

 

"We continue to wait patiently for a response from the DOTC," the letter stated.

 

The one-page letter opened with a clarification to Aquino about the "inaccurate and nasty press reports pertaining to the MRT3 capacity expansion."

 

"I wish to state that the allegations that members of your family were involved with discussions with Inekon on any projects in the Philippines are simply untrue and malicious," Rychtar wrote the President. "Neither Secretary Prado nor any member of your family has offered their assistance in any of the projects that my country is pursuing in the Philippines. Your family is well known not to involve themselves on governmental affairs, most especially in the area of procurement."

 

Rychtar wrote that he held Eldon and Ballsy Cruz as well as Prado "in the highest esteem."

 

The ambassador said he was writing the letter "on both a personal and official capacity" and was prepared to issue a public statement clearing Ballsy and Eldon Cruz, and to declare the Czech government's "continued interest" in participating in the DOTC program.

 

"In early April 2013, I was able to secure a meeting with Secretary Emilio Abaya to report an incident between some officials of his department and myself, together with the top management of Inekon," Rychtar wrote. "While I still have yet to discern who are behind these terrible press releases, I had hoped that Secretary Abaya would have dealt with this issue in a swift and judicious manner before it reached this embarrassing and untenable state of affairs."

 

Inekon is one of the top 100 corporations in the Czech Republic and is involved in railway projects in several European countries and the United States.

 

MRT3 has a fleet of 73 Czech-made modern and air-conditioned rail cars, which were built by another Czech company – CKD Doprovni System of Prague. The rail vehicles are articulated, eight-axle , three-section cars, designed for single-ended operations.

 

Each train can seat 80 passengers and can carry, under crush loading conditions, 394 commuters at any one time. The MRT3 trains carry 23,000 passengers per hour per direction daily.

 

With report from ABS-CBN News

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