Myla Manlapig started her travel business, Fair Fly Travel and Tours in Baliuag Bulacan immediately after graduating from college in 1999.

Fair Fly Travel and Tours offered international and domestic ticketing, visa processing, international and local tours, as well as educational tours and in November 2019 she acquired travel buses and added tour bus rental to her services. The year 2020 caught Myla off guard.

“Before the pandemic, we were doing really well. We were already fully-booked from March to May of 2020. It was so disheartening for us to cancel all those bookings,” Myla shared.

Fair Fly Travel and Tours temporarily closed its doors for six months in 2020. During this period Myla was on the lookout for possible sources of funds to aid her with the business expenses. She then heard about the Bayanihan CARES through the DOT and immediately applied.

With the loan proceeds from Bayanihan CARES, Myla decided to explore alternative sources of income to sustain the business. “We were not receiving any bookings so I decided to sell travel items, souvenirs, and Japanese and Australian products to cover the agency’s operational and accreditation expenses,” Myla related.

Their new venture enabled them to open the office again. It was a challenge in the beginning due to the new protocols implemented by the national and the local government but Myla and her team were able to pull through.

 “I am not closing my travel business. I remain optimistic and look forward to a new and brighter future for the tourism industry,” Myla concluded.