MANILA, Philippines - MANILA, Philippines - If the seaports and airports in the country this week are an indication of how Filipinos prefer to travel to and from one of the destinations in the country's 7,107 islands, then flying has become a hands down favorite.

Holy Week is one of the peak seasons in local travel as Filipinos, mostly Christians, go home to their provinces.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, nearly 30,000 passengers will be leaving and arriving for the duration of the Easter break.

This compares significantly with the number of passengers traveling by boat to visit their loved ones in various regions across the country.

For example, shipping vessel M/V Love, which is plying the Manila-Aklan route, has experienced a 50% drop in passenger count compared to last year.

Mushrooming budget airlines and the proliferation of fare sales--which means tickets have to be bought weeks or months in advance--are the key reasons. By keeping air fares affordable, budget airlines have directly targeted travelers who were used to taking the bus (for land-based trips) and ferries (for destinations that involve another island). 

Aside from competitively priced air fares, airlines also dangle a more convenient and faster way to travel. Air travels within the country take over 2 hours at the most, while bus and ferry rides mean hours or days worth of travel.

Budget airlines in the country include Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, Seair, and Air Philippines (now AirPhil Express).