PAL shifts to high gear

PHILIPPINE Airlines service providers are shifting to high gear.

PAL service providers are swiftly adjusting to the pace and new work set up for ground handling and catering at the flag carrier’s hub at NAIA Terminal 2.

SkyGroup president Rory Jon Sepulveda said the two service providers – SkyLogistics Philippines and SkyKitchen Philippines – are now functional and are providing services to PAL’s operations.

He said former PAL workers, new hires, PAL admin volunteers and other service providers who joined the two firms, work together to ensure that passengers are properly serviced from the check-in counters, to baggage handling and in-flight catering.

“SkyGroup is proud that in the few days that it officially began serving PAL flights, the airline’s on-time performance and schedule reliability has greatly improved,” he said.

With only 30 percent of former PALEANs joining the two service firms, Sepulveda said the SkyGroup has opened its doors to skilled workers interested in taking jobs either as customer service agents, ground equipment operators, drivers, baggage handlers, mechanics, cooks, production staff and many others.

“We are now aggressively screening and processing applications to fill up these positions. There are also ex-PALEANs who come to the office daily to apply for jobs,” Sepulveda said.

He stressed that while the September 30 deadline requested by PAL management had lapsed, SkyGroup is open to applicants while vacancies last.

“The only difference between PAL employees whom we took in before the deadline is that they were guaranteed the jobs. After the deadline, ex-PAL applicants would have to pass our screening and qualification process like everybody else. Subject further to the availability of vacant positions, qualified ex-PAL employees, however, would be given preference due to their experience and familiarity with the work at hand,” he stressed. –Willy Balasa, http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/business/14905-pal-shifts-to-high-gear