DAPA, Siargao Island , Surigao del Norte - President Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo instructed Trade Secretary Peter Favila and Tourism Secretary Ace Durano on Wednesday to invite the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and the Cebu Pacific Airlines to fly to Siargao Island from Manila in a move to make this tropical island paradise more accessible to foreign and local tourists.

President Arroyo and some members of the Cabinet arrived here in Siargao Island on Wednesday for the Ist Siargao Invitational Game Fishing Tournament.

Her entourage stayed and spent the night at expensive Pansukian Resort which is owned by a Frenchman and left the following day Thursday morning after officiating opening of the sport fishing tournament in Magpopongko Beach in Pilar town.

Aboard the presidential chopper, the Chief Executive and her entourage went to Carrascal, Surigao del Sur supposedly to inspect reports by church-based environmentalist groups on alleged fast conversion of agricultural lands into mining areas.

The President issued the instructions to Favila and Durano upon arrival mid -afternoon Wedensday at the Sayak Airport in Del Carmen town after she was informed that the widening works on the airport are almost completed and by then could accommodate more airplanes.

“We should invite them…we should push them (to fly to Siargao),” the President said.

Favila informed the President that PAL and Cebu Pacific would be flying the so-called missionary routes now that they have acquired smaller planes.

Durano said Siargao Island is one of the few priority destinations of the missionary routes.

”Now that the planes have arrived, we should push them,”the President stressed.

So far, only SEAIR flies directly to Siargao Island from Cebu International Airport .

Getting to this surfing capital of the country from Manila is alittle bit tedious as one has to fly to Butuan City or Cagayan de Oro and travel by land for about three to four hours to get to Surigao City.From the Surigao City port, one has to take the roll-on-roll-off for about four hours.

The President, in a move to spur economic development in the countryside, has noted the need for vital infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports and seaports.