British ambassador visits Surigao, opens up investment center
July 18, 2008

	BRITISH-FILIPINO RELATIONS. Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham (left) converses with Mayor Alfonso S. Casurra (right) during a luncheon held at the Surigao City Cultural Center. Photo by Nestor Borja

British Ambassador to the Philippines Peter Beckingham on Thursday visited Surigao City for a series of meetings with the local business sector here. Beckingham will meet city officials, some overseas investors and members of the local business chamber in his two-and-a-half day stay to discuss potential business investments from companies in the United Kingdom.
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PAL Express flies Surigao City direct
July 15, 2008

	IT'S A PLANE! TOP: PAL Express Flight PR 065 touches down Surigao City Airport at exactly 10:45am. ABOVE: Mayor Alfonso S. Casurra (left) inspects the cabin of the brand new 76-seater Bombardier Q400 turbo-prop aircraft together with PAL senior assistant vice president Marilou Cortes-Mendoza (center) and Vice Mayor Rico Salvador A. Sering (right, sitting). Photo by Nestor Borja

Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) new low-cost regional airline brand, PAL Express, made its maiden flight Tuesday to Surigao City as it officially started its operations here. Brand new 76-seater Bombardier Q400 turbo-prop aircraft Flight PR 065 from Manila touched down the Surigao City Airport at 10:45am carrying 51 passengers.

Officials from the City Government of Surigao, headed by Mayor Alfonso S. Casurra, and personalities from the business sector greeted the passengers as they arrived in the city in a short welcome program held in the arrival area of the terminal. Earlier, PAL Express’s office and cargo outlet was also inaugurated.
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AIM cites Surigao City for 3rd time in competitiveness ranking
July 11, 2008

	COMPETITIVE CITY. Mayor Alfonso S. Casurra of Surigao City received the plaque of recognition from AIM executive director Federico Macaranas and AIM president Francis Estrada in ceremonies held on July 4 in the Intercontinental Manila. Photo courtesy of CMO

The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center, the research and intellectual resource arm of Asia’s premiere graduate school of business AIM, released on July 4 the final results of the 2007 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project (PCCRP) in which Surigao City once again emerged as a top-performing city under the small-sized cities category.
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