Manila/Ninoy Aquino & Cebu/Mactan – Sunday 9th November 2025 (Grant Robinson)

Manila/Ninoy Aquino

Quite a bit of rain around, I guess because of nearby Typhoon Fung Wong. We are flying South to Cebu and away from the storm, so fingers crossed that our rearranged flight goes OK. I checked out the rooms as best I could, given that we only had room keys for the 7th floor. I can confirm that rooms 7021, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 & 36 give excellent views out across the airport – nothing will be missed, night or day, unless you are not paying attention.

I found that reasonable photos were possible through the smaller window in the room (single glass) rather than the bigger one which was double. Won’t win any awards or make past the photo site screeners, but good enough for me and for my memories. I can also confirm that 9th floor rooms 9021, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 & 36 give similar but better elevated views.

By getting up to the 9th floor, I also found an end corridor window by room 9036 which gives a good view of a lot of the museum inmates – extra to my efforts from 7th floor and streel level outside yesterday, were the F-5 and C-47, so well worth the effort. Your room key only works for the floor that you’ve been allocated and then down to the lobby. To get up to the 9th, I hung around the lobby and when anybody went up, jump in with them and fingers crossed that they go up to the 9th or 10th floor – 10th floor has the same kind of end corridor window. If they don’t, then back to the lobby and try again.

You don’t need a room key to get back down to the lobby, so in theory you could do this as a non-hotel guest. Entry into this hotel (Holiday Inn Express) is through a brief security check, but nobody is checking if you are a resident or not. This museum after a few years of closure, is supposed to be reopening soon, but if you’re here on a day when it is closed, this hotel can give you a lot of the inmates.

This hotel doesn’t seem to have a shuttle bus service and security out the front, call cabs for you when you step out and ask. They only take cash but that is easily drawn out from ATM with the nearby Casino. I was advised to pay 300 Peso but no more that 1,000 Peso for the journey around to Terminal 2. When you leave the hotel, tell the security guard that you’d like a cab and they call one from around the corner for you. They also write a ticket, I assume to record who took you and where.

Annoyingly, I didn’t realise that was a taxi & eats app called Grab out here. I had in my notes that it was used in Indonesia & Singapore – I only noticed an advert for Grab when we arrived at Terminal 1 for our Philippines Airline flight to Cebu. This was promptly downloaded for our travels around Cebu – easy to add a credit card to this and use instantly.

The following log is in country prefix, airline, type and reg order and the few photographs of aircraft, terminal and hotel can be seen here;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62861611@N08/albums/72177720331024922/

9M-MVM, Boeing 737MAX 8, Malaysia Airlines (43349)
9V-NCB, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Scoot (10345)
9V-SHK, Airbus A350 941, Singapore Airlines (369)
A4O-SI, Boeing 787 9, Oman Air (38792)
A6-EBM, Boeing 777 31HER, Emirates Airline (34482)
B-LDR, Airbus A330 343E(P2F), Air Hong Kong (777)
B-HPI, Airbus A321 251NXSL, Cathay Pacific Airways (10853)
B-HLU, Airbus A330 343X, Cathay Pacific Airways (539)
B-HNG, Boeing 777 367, Cathay Pacific Airways (27505)
B-1652, Airbus A320 232, China Southern Airlines (6506)
B-18360, Airbus A330 302, China Airlines (1450)
B-18653, Boeing 737NG 8Q8/W, China Airlines (41788)
D-AIKA, Airbus A330 343X, Discover Airlines (570)
EC-NBN, Airbus A330 243, Wamos Air (818)
G-XLED, Airbus A380 841, British Airways (144)
HS-TKO, Boeing 777 3ALER, Thai Airways International (41524)
HL8218, Boeing 777 3B5ER, Korean Air (37649)
JA828J, Boeing 787 8, Zipair Tokyo (34838)
N858KE, Gulfstream Aerospace G550 (5438)
RP-C5911, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4587)
RP-C4156, Airbus A320 214, Cebu Pacific Air (3896)
RP-C4160, Airbus A320 214, Cebu Pacific Air (3857)
RP-C4100, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6317)
RP-C4102, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6418)
RP-C4108, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (7066)
RP-C4138, Airbus A320 271NSL, Cebu Pacific Air (11320)
RP-C4266, Airbus A320 271NSL, Cebu Pacific Air (9597)
RP-C4111, Airbus A321 211SL, Cebu Pacific Air (8190)
RP-C4112, Airbus A321 211SL, Cebu Pacific Air (8245)
RP-C4114, Airbus A321 211SL, Cebu Pacific Air (8269)
RP-C4115, Airbus A321 211SL, Cebu Pacific Air (8281)
RP-C4121, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Cebu Pacific Air (9092)
RP-C4122, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Cebu Pacific Air (9196)
RP-C4141, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Cebu Pacific Air (11538)
RP-C3902, Airbus A330 941N, Cebu Pacific Air (2004)
RP-C3904, Airbus A330 941N, Cebu Pacific Air (1973)
RP-C3910, Airbus A330 941N, Cebu Pacific Air (2087)
RP-C8395, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (4984)
RP-C8609, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (3273)
RP-C8610, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (3310)
RP-C8611, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (3455)
RP-C8612, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (3553)
RP-C8613, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (3579)
RP-C8619, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (5315)
RP-C8620, Airbus A320 214, PAL Express (5371)
RP-C9903, Airbus A321 231SL, Philippine Airlines (5787)
RP-C9906, Airbus A321 231SL, Philippine Airlines (5825)
RP-C9923, Airbus A321 231SL, Philippine Airlines (6573)
RP-C9926, Airbus A321 231SL, Philippine Airlines (7180)
RP-C9933, Airbus A321 271NSL, Philippine Airlines (8242)
RP-C9935, Airbus A321 271NSL, Philippine Airlines (8568)
RP-C9938, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Philippine Airlines (9087)
RP-C8764, Airbus A330 343E, Philippine Airlines (1553)
RP-C8781, Airbus A330 343E, Philippine Airlines (1460)
RP-C7772, Boeing 777 3F6ER, Philippine Airlines (38719)
RP-C8975, Airbus A320 214, Philippines AirAsia (2425)
RP-C8941, Airbus A320 216, Philippines AirAsia (3628)
RP-C8945, Airbus A320 216, Philippines AirAsia (3505)
RP-C8949, Airbus A320 216, Philippines AirAsia (3000)
RP-C8948, Airbus A320 216SL, Philippines AirAsia (5547)
RP-C8966, Airbus A320 216SL, Philippines AirAsia (5905)
RP-C6386, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 500, Sunlight Express Airways (692)
RP-C9968, Dassault Falcon 900 B (106)

Cebu/Mactan

The decision to come down to Cebu was fully vindicated as we bagged a fair bit of military stuff on our taxi-in to the terminal after landing and again outside the terminal on the arrivals level, whilst sorting out a taxi. It was an eye-opening but short journey around to our hostel, located close to the threshold of runway 04. Lots of scooters and strange looking motorcycle side carrier passenger carrying things all over the shop. Also the look of the streets and main roads that we went down, were a far cry from the relative wealth we enjoy at home.

When we arrived at Murals Mactan, our choice of stay for the night, everything was as expected in that it didn’t look much from outside, but it was perfectly fine as a bed for the night goes. If you go wandering the local streets for food and drink, note that cash is king here. As were happy spotting from our rooftop terrace, I ordered food in using the Grab app.

The following log is in military first, then country prefix, airline, type and reg order and the few photographs of aircraft that I sneaked from the taxi-in to the Cebu terminal. I also included some from the next day for the benefit of this blog post;

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62861611@N08/albums/72177720331025081/

Around Mactan Air Base:
16125, Bell UH-1H Iroquois, Mactan Air Base Aircraft Park, Philippine Air Force (10784)
RP-1898, Bell 412EP, 252nd PHS, Philippine Air Force (36138)
140, CASA/EADS C.295M, 221st AS, Philippine Air Force (140)
142, CASA/EADS C.295M, 251st PAS, Philippine Air Force (142)
215, CASA/EADS C.295W, 251st PAS, Philippine Air Force (215)
54624, Fairchild C-123K Provider, Mactan Air Base Aircraft Park, Philippine Air Force (20073)
10620, Fokker F.27-200MPA, 221st AS, Philippine Air Force (10620)
10669, Fokker F.27-500RF, 221st AS, Philippine Air Force (10669)
12, Government Aircraft Factories N22B Nomad, 223rd AS, Philippine Air Force (N22B-12)
68, Government Aircraft Factories N22B Nomad, 223rd AS, Philippine Air Force (N22B-68)
(05)/22, Government Aircraft Factories N22B Nomad, Mactan Air Base Aircraft Park, Philippine Air Force (5)
2120, IPTN NC.212i Aviocar, 223rd AS, Philippine Air Force (N111)
3545, Lockheed C-130B Hercules, Stored, Philippine Air Force (3545)
4704, Lockheed C-130H Hercules, 222nd AS, Philippine Air Force (4704)
5157, Lockheed C-130H Hercules, 222nd AS, Philippine Air Force (5157)
5011, Lockheed C-130T Hercules, 222nd AS, Philippine Air Force (5011)
5040, Lockheed C-130T Hercules, 222nd AS, Philippine Air Force (5040)
4512, Lockheed L-100-20 Hercules, Mactan Air Base Aircraft Park, Philippine Air Force (4512)
(24835)/24246, North American F-86F Sabre, Mactan Air Base Aircraft Park, Philippine Air Force (191-531)
752, Sikorsky/PZL-Mielec S-70i Black Hawk, , Philippine Air Force (705752/116)
754, Sikorsky/PZL-Mielec S-70i Black Hawk, , Philippine Air Force (705754/118)

Elsewhere around the airport:
11-3097, Dornier C-146A Wolfhound, 524th SOS/492nd SOW, United States Air Force (3097)
A6-ENI, Boeing 777 31HER, Emirates Airline (41087)
B-HPI, Airbus A321 251NXSL, Cathay Pacific Airways (10853)
B-LDR, Airbus A330 343E(P2F), Air Hong Kong (777)
B-221V, Boeing 737NG 8Z9BCF/W, Central Airlines (30420)
N7700, Bombardier Challenger 605 (5745)
RP-C5905, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4567)
RP-C5907, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4580)
RP-C5910, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4585)
RP-C5911, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4587)
RP-C5912, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4588)
RP-C5915, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4610)
RP-C5917, Bombardier DHC-8 402 NG, AirPhil Express/PAL Express (4612)
RP-C4103, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6441)
RP-C4104, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6741)
RP-C4106, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6925)
RP-C4107, Airbus A320 214SL, Cebu Pacific Air (6929)
RP-C4112, Airbus A321 211SL, Cebu Pacific Air (8245)
RP-C4123, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Cebu Pacific Air (9150)
RP-C4143, Airbus A321 271NXSL, Cebu Pacific Air (11834)
RP-C7280, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1362)
RP-C7281, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1369)
RP-C7283, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1397)
RP-C7284, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1429)
RP-C7290, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1530)
RP-C7291, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 600, Cebu Pacific Air (1536)
RP-C9962, Avions de Transport Regional ATR 72 500, Leading Edge Air Services Corporation (962)
RP-C9923, Airbus A321 231SL, Philippine Airlines (6573)
RP-C3227, Airbus A320 214, Philippines AirAsia (2183)
RP-C8946, Airbus A320 214, Philippines AirAsia (4397)
RP-C8945, Airbus A320 216, Philippines AirAsia (3505)
RP-C8948, Airbus A320 216SL, Philippines AirAsia (5547)
RP-C3753, Boeing 737 330QC, SEAir International (23837)
RP-C1055, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X (65054)
RP-C3818, Cessna 152 (unknown)
RP-C4424, Cessna 152 (15283629)
RP-C8728, Cessna 152 (15283205)
RP-C9818, Cessna 152 (unknown)
RP-C124, Cessna 172R Skyhawk (172-80130)
RP-C3025, Cessna 182 Skylane (182-33518)
RP-C1828, Cessna 182G Skylane (18255493)
RP-C4430, Piper PA-34 200T Seneca II (34-7770050)
VN-A649, Airbus A321 211SL, VietJetAir (8153)