75 YEARS OF PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

A Voice
to Be
Reckoned
with
Previously published in Philippine
Daily Inquirer dated March 20, 2016.
By THERESA S. SAMANIEGO

AL LAUNCHES ITS
BRAND EQUITY
CAMPAIGN, "The Heart of the

Filipino," with a new song sang

by three of the country's top
music icons.

Babangon sa
bawat pagkakataon,
ngingiti anuman
ang panahon

46 MABUHAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2016

Nothing compares to the Heart

of the Filipino. It is one that is
generous, resilient, gracious, and full
of warmth. One that is brimming
with a certain gusto for life, and
one that continues to define the
very core of the countrys national
flag carrier. Philippine Airlines,
in its more than seven decades of
operations, has remained steadfast
in pursuing that premium brand
of service, aimed at satisfying the
needs and fancies of its passengers.
And, as it celebrates its 75 years in
the airline industry, PAL is again

set to make history with the launch

of its new advertising campaign
dubbed The Heart of the Filipino.
Three new TV commercials are
set to showcase PALs latest song
entitled, The Heart of the Filipino,
which was sung by three of the
countrys top voicesBamboo,
Sarah Geronimo, and Lea Salonga.
Through this distinct branding,
the airline company has stood for
genuine Filipino hospitality, the
beauty of the Philippine islands, as
well as the Filipinos persevering
spirit and happy disposition.
As you journey through life in
the years to come, we commit to
bringing the best of the Philippines
and the best of the Filipino to you
the friendliness of our people and

The Heart of the Filipino

Performed by Lea Salonga,
Sarah Geronimo, and Bamboo

Nothing
compares
to the
Heart
of the
Filipino.

Verse
Buong mundo ma'y mapuntahan
May hindi mapapalitan
Iisa ang pinanggalingan
Puso ng Perlas ng Silangan
Pre Chorus
Walang katulad na pag-alaga
Walang katulad na pag-aruga
Taos-pusong malasakit
Walang inaasahang kapalit
Chorus
Puso, Pilipinas
May gandang walang kupas
Pusong Pilipino
Nagniningning sa gilas
The Heart of the Filipino shining through
Philippine Airlines shining through
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino shining through
Woohh-ohhh-ohhh
Bridge
Babangon sa bawat pagkakataon
Ngingiti anuman ang panahon
Lilipad para abutin ang lahat
Pusong walang pagod tumanggap
Magbigay, mangarap
Woohh-ohhh-ohhh

Stills from the "Heart of the Filipino" music video shot in some of the destinations PAL
flies to: Lea in the bustling Big Apple - New York City, Sarah in the white beaches of
Boracay, and Bamboo in the busy Shibuya crossing in Tokyo.

our waterproof spirit, the beauty of our

islands, the splendor of our sunsets,
the wonderful variety of our delicious
cuisines, the richness of our history and
culture, and the fun in our everyday
life. Philippine Airlines has excelled
and succeeded because we have the
Heart of the Filipino that always shines
through, said PAL Vice President for
Marketing Ria Carrion-Domingo.
As PAL expands its routes both
domestically and internationally, more
people all over the world will discover
the warmth that shines through from
the Heart of the Filipino.
PALs new branding was created in
collaboration with their advertising

agency, the multi-awarded Ogilvy &

Mather Philippines.
The first TV ad showcases service that
comes from a heart like no otherthe
Heart of the Filipinowith the intention
of instilling national pride for PAL being
a full-service international airline. The
second TV ad features the beauty of the
Philippines. The third TV ad highlights
some of the worlds best cities where PAL
currently flies to.
Both destination ads create the desire
to travel, to discover the Philippines,
and to see the world, and to do so in
style and in comfort, with the service
that comes from the Heart of the
Filipino. n

Chorus
Puso, Pilipinas
May gandang walang kupas
Pusong Pilipino
Nagniningning sa gilas
The Heart of the Filipino shining through
Philippine Airlines shining through
Puso Pilipinas!
Puso, Pilipinas
May gandang walang kupas
(Puso, Pilipinas)
Pusong Pilipino
(Wooh-ohh-wooh)
Nagniningning sa gilas
The Heart of the Filipino shining through
(Shining Through)
Philippine Airlines shining through
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino
shining through
(Philippine Airlines shining through)
Woohh-ohhh-ohhh
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino
shining through
Woohh-ohhh-ohhh
Outro
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino
The Heart, the Heart of the Filipino (Fade out)
WWW.PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM 47

75 YEARS OF PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

The
Country's
Best Voices
Capture
the Heart
of the
Filipino
Three Pinoy music icons sang
their hearts out in PALs new
song, the aptly titled The Heart
of the Filipino. Lea Salonga,
Sarah Geronimo, and Bamboo
talk about their collaboration
and how PAL has helped them
share their talents worldwide.
By NICOLO PASCUAL

Could you share with us your most

memorable flights onboard PAL?
Lea Salonga: The most memorable
flight for me was the very first one. (You
never forget your first.) It was a PAL
flight from Manila to Honolulu in 1981.
I had never been on a plane before, so
climbing the stairs from the tarmac to
the aircraft, finding my seat, and hearing
the roar of the engine at take off was all
so exciting.
Sarah Geronimo: Its when I first rode
an airplane, Im not sure if I went to
Cebu or Davao, but it was a domestic
flight, and also the first time we went to
the United States.
Bamboo: Its the bridge home. Once
you step onboard, just the warm smiles
and hellos from all our kababayans

For the hospitality,

generosity of
spirit, and the best
landings of any
carrier on earth,
thank you! Happy
Anniversary!!!
-Lea Salonga
48 MABUHAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2016

(countrymen) on the flight. You know

youre just a hop, skip, and a 12-hour
flight away if youre coming back from
San Francisco, California, like me.

they seem to be. We can all sing pop and

rock music, and the Broadway stuff is
more contemporary than anything. It all
works out.

How has PAL given you the chance to

share your talents overseas?

SG: We have a great working

relationship, its always fun and
challenging at the same time. Bamboo
and Ms. Lea are music icons of our
country and yet theres always mutual
respect for each other.

LS: Just the fact that PAL flies to just

about every city I perform in makes me
so happy. I spend plenty of time in Los
Angeles and New York. When PAL
announced that they would be flying to
New York I was ecstatic. And that they
fly to London is also fantastic.
SG: It excites me every time we fly
overseas for a concert tour especially
if its with PAL. Were always taken
care of, and youre with your fellow
Filipinos. The essence of being a Filipino
entertainer is when you represent the
country with each performance.
B: The best thing with PAL these days is
all the direct flights. It just makes flying
to whatever gig I got a lot easier to adjust
to whatever time difference I have to
battle withperforming with jet lag is
tough.

You guys have worked together in

a music show, but you have distinct
styles, with Bamboo having a rock
music background, Sarah Geronimo
with pop, and Lea Salonga having
performed on Broadway. Was it a
bit challenging to mesh all these
experiences and talents together?
LS: Surprisingly, it was very easy to
mesh our styles, despite how disparate

B: I think all three of us carry the

experience to adjust to each other. So
that same chemistry that works on
those big red chairs (The Voice of the
Philippines) works on a record as well.

What are you most proud of about

the Philippines?
LS: Our hospitality, the warmth of
our people, our big hearts, and our
resilience.
SG: Aside from being proud of how
beautiful our country is, its our values
that make me even prouder to be a
Filipino. Our positive attitude and
courage through adversities and our
strong faith in God.
B: I cant say it enoughits our people.

What does The Heart of the

Filipino mean to you?
LS: It's a generous heart, forgiving to a
fault, and hospitable.
SG: A heart that always perseveres,
helps, and loves God.

B: Its our resilient spirit. Its our pulse,

our happy hearts that beat as one.

Do you think PAL embodies the

Heart of the Filipino? If yes, in what
way?
LS: Oh yes it most certainly does. I
instantly feel so welcomed the moment I
get on the plane. So many smiles!
SG: Definitely. PAL has always been
sincere in giving true service to its
fellow Filipino and foreign customers
worldwide.
B: To us Filipinos, theres no other airline
but Philippine Airlines. Its options 1, 2,
3, and 4.

What is your message to PAL on its

75th Anniversary?
LS: For the hospitality, generosity of
spirit, and the best landings of any
carrier on earth, thank you! Happy
Anniversary!!!
SG: I am grateful and honored to be part
of the PAL family. Congratulations for
celebrating your 75th anniversary as one
solid family. And thank you for staying
true and committed to giving your
customers the best service.
B: I just want to congratulate PAL for its
75 years, so Happy Birthday to us. Every
plane needs an engine and a beating
heart. Thanks to all the hard working
people that keep us safe, comfortable,
and happyfrom the pilots, flight
attendants, down to the ground crew. n

WWW.PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM 49

75 YEARS OF PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

A Toast
to 75 years of
Philippine
Airlines
A feat as big deserves not one, but
three nights of mirthful cheer, sincere
appreciation, and generous merriment.

EMPLOYEE GALA

Kicking off the festivities is the Employee Gala,

held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia,
Pasay City. As PALs way of giving back to its loyal
employees, the night was filled with delightful
prizes, striking performances, and heartfelt words.
Photos by Paolo Buendia

1. Led by PAL Chairman & CEO Lucio Tan and his better half, Carmen Tan, PAL officials enjoy the sweet fruits of their labor as they toast to
another successful eventand a job well done. 2. Everyone was on their feet when Bamboo, Lea Salonga, and Sarah Geronimo performed
PALs theme song live. 3. You [employees] are PALs most important asset. PALs future belongs to you. PAL Chairman and CEO Lucio Tan
challenged his people to make PAL a five-star airline within five years. Show me we can do it again. On this anniversary, let us renew our
commitment to serve our passengers well. 4. Vice President for Marketing Ria Carrion-Domingo unveils PAL's Brand Equity campaign "The
Heart of the Filipino." 5. PAL President & COO Jaime J. Bautista warmly welcomes employees to PAL's 75th Anniversary celebration. 6. A few
minutes away from 7:50 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time), AVP for Strategic Marketing and Communications Ceres Joyce de Jesus announced
the media roadblock that was about to commence globally. 7. Senior Vice President for Commercial Group David Lim talks about the new
destinations where PAL will fly to starting this year.
50 MABUHAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2016

EXTERNAL GALA

At the Grand Ballroom of the Solaire

Resort and Casino, a full-house crowd
of industry leaders, diplomatic corp
members, and the media celebrated with
the national flag carrier during its 75th
Anniversary.

1. Members of the PAL Board of

Directors leading thetoast. Shown
from left areJohnip Cua, Greg Yu,
Heinrich Khoo, Joseph Chua, Lucio
Tan Jr., PAL Chairman and CEO Lucio
Tan, Carmen Tan, Jaime Bautista,
Estelito Mendoza, Michael Tan, John
Tan, and Antonino Alindogan Jr.
2. From left, Karlu Tan-Say, Jean
Francois Laval (Airbus - EVP for
Asia), Fabrice Espinosa (Airbus Sales Director), and PAL Chairman
and CEO Lucio Tan. 3. Canadian
Ambassador to the Philippines HE
Neil Reeder and Irene Reeder with
PAL Chairman and CEO Lucio Tan.
4. VP for Marketing Ria CarrionDomingo, Michael Tan of PAL Board
of Directors, Cynthia Almario, and
Ivy Almario 5. DFA Undersecretary
Laura Q. Del Rosario and UK
Ambassador to the Philippines HE
Asif Anwar Ahmad. Photos courtesy
of Philippine Airlines. 6. Lucky
gala attendees were awarded with
Mabuhay Miles during the evening's
raffle. 7. Standing from left to right
are former PAL President Carlos
Dominguez, former PAL President
Pepeton Garcia, PAL President
and COO Jaime Bautista, and PAL
Director Joseph Chua; while seated
from left to right are PAL Director
Carmen Tan, PAL Chairman Lucio C.
Tan, and former PAL President Sonny
Belmonte. Photos by Paolo Buendia.
WWW.PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM 51

BLOGGERS NIGHT

A refreshing end to the week was the

Bloggers Night, held at Revel at The
Palace, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Photos by Paolo Buendia
1. Hosting the show were TV host Robi
Domingo and PAL Brand Manager
for International Destinations Lits
Ong-Cuevas. 2. Unveiling PAL's new
Brand Equity Campaign "The Heart of
the Filipino" was Strategic Marketing
Consultant Jessica Abaya. 3. Vice
President for Revenue Management
Dina May Flores introduces PAL's
TVCs featuring its domestic and
international destinations. 4. Musical
icon Bamboo wows the crowd with
his own rock rendition of the song
"The Heart of the Filipino. 5. & 6. TV
Personality and Eventologist Tim Yap
and Menswear Blogger David Guison
spotted at the event. 7. Nothing
beats great food and company as
the bloggers enjoy the rest of the
night. 8. Exciting raffle prizes include
2 roundtrip tickets each to Saipan,
Guam, Singapore, Japan, London
and a destination anywhere in the
Philippines!

5
6

Gala Dinner for New LA-Cebu Flights

PAL conducted an international press conference, followed by a dinner
gala, on March 17 at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, to officially
announce its new inter-domestic and international flights to and from the
historic city of Cebu. Two nights prior, the launch of the Cebu-Los Angeles
flight was successfully held at the Mactan Cebu International Airport.
The Cebu-Los Angeles flight leaves Cebu every Tuesday, Thursday, and
Saturday evening to arrive in Los Angeles early evening while the Los
Angeles-Cebu flight leaves Los Angeles every Tuesday, Thursday and
Saturday evening to arrive in Cebu early morning two days after, due to
time difference. n
52 MABUHAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2016

1. Celebrating the brand new CEB-LAX-CEB service by way of a ceremonial toast

are (from left to right): PAL VP - Sales Ryan Uy, Honorary Philippine Consul-General
to San Diego Audie de Castro, PAL SVP - Airline Operations Ismael Augusto Gozon,
Tourism Director Junjun Apo - Jorda, PAL SVP - Commercial Group David Lim, PH
Consul General to LA Leo Herrera Lim, PAL President & COO Jaime J. Bautista, DFA
Legal Officer Atty. Sittie Aisa Azisaida Tawagon, Civil Aeronautics Board Executive
Director Carmelo Arcilla, PAL SVP - Corporate Planning Angelito Alvarez, PAL VP
- Marketing Ria Domingo, PAL SAVP - International Sales Eric Tan, PAL Country
Manager (America) Marila Revilla, and Tourism Assistant Secretary Rolando Canizal.
2. Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla brought a welcomed blast from the past when she
sang songs from the 1970s. 3. PAL officials with Cebu media. 4. PAL officials with
Manila media and Bishop Oscar Solis of Archdiocese of LA.

WWW.PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM 53

75 YEARS OF PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

NAIA Terminal 2
Undergoes a Facelift

S PART OF ITS 75TH

ANNIVERSARY

celebration, Philippine Airlines

didn't just unveil its new Brand
Equity campaign, it also gave
Terminal 2, also known as
Centennial Terminal, a facelift,
to showcase the unique brand of
service that comes from the Heart
of the Filipino.
PAL has recently launched an
Airport Transformation Program
to better serve its customers
flying to and from various places
around the globe.

PAL Launches
Cebu-Los Angeles
Flights, Saipan Next
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
OPENED A KEY addition to

its flight routes to the United

States, with the non-stop Cebu
to Los Angeles journeys that
commenced last March 15, the
day the flag carrier marked its
75th founding anniversary.
The thrice-weekly flight is
another gateway to the United
States through PAL, which also
travels between Manila and
Los Angeles, San Francisco,
New York, Honolulu, and the
American territory Guam.
This development allows
Cebuanos and fellow Visayans to
have a travel portal much closer
to home, with the convenience
of not having to travel to Manila
to hop on the next flight to
California, which has the largest
Filipino population in all 50 states.
Inaugural ceremonies were held
at the Radisson Hotel in Cebu
City, attended by PAL executives,
Department of Tourism regional
director Rowena Montecillo and
Mandaue City Administrator Atty.
James Abadi.
Together with Cebu-LAX (Los
Angeles International Airport)
and all of PALs current routes,
passengers will experience an
54 MABUHAY MAGAZINE | APRIL 2016

upgraded flight information

system in place for smoother
passenger wayfinding.
Meanwhile, PAL also
announced that it will begin flying
to vacation destination Saipan on
June 15, 2016. The tropical island
and U.S. territory is the second
largest island of the Marianas
group of islands, next to Guam.
The twice-weekly, four-hour
flights from Manila to Saipan will
operate on code sharing with PAL
Express.
"Saipan is home to thousands
of Filipinos. Opening this new
route will provide our kababayans
(countrymen) that much needed
link to their homeland. On top of
that, business and leisure travelers
from Saipan now have the
opportunity to experience PAL's
brand of service that is uniquely
Filipino," said PAL President and
Chief Operating Officer Jaime J.
Bautista.
Sun-kissed Saipan is an
island paradise in the Northern
Marianas boasting clear blue
waters and reef-lined beaches that
are perfect for snorkeling, diving,
and other water sports. n

Premium-looking counters in
silver and gold will welcome
the passengers upon check-in.
Signage is also visible to better
guide alighting and departing
passengerslocals and
foreigners alike.

Pushcarts were donated to

NAIA. Upgraded standees
are equipped with magnetic
slide-ins for easy changes.
Counters for economy class
are marked silver, while
counters for business class
are marked gold. A sign
also marks the carousel for
priority luggage. Photos by
Mariah Nerona

Self Check-in kiosks are also

made available and have been
updated. Armed with warm
smiles, attendants are always
ready to assist and cater to
everyones needs.
Passengers can also look
forward to the renovations that
will happen in PAL's Mabuhay
Lounges all over the
country. n

Leave Out the

Hassle in Travel

OUR VACATION
DOES NOT START

when you've landed in your

destination. It begins when
you first dream of visiting a
sight and booking your flight.
Planning for that dream
vacation, though, isn't always
as easy as one would hope for.

Whether youre out of

town for a vacation or
a business trip, the last
thing you need to worry
about is an unorganized
itinerary and less-than-ideal
accommodation. So let
Philippine Airlines take care
of those for you.

Introducing Swingaround,
your one-stop shop for
all your travel-related
concerns: from flights, hotel

accommodation, transfers,
and tours. Selecting and
building your package can
be done online through
your smartphone, tablet,
or personal computer.
Automated real-time
computation of prices and
booking confirmation are
as breezy as your PAL flight
experience.

Swingaround can bring you

toover 60 amazing local and
international destinations.
Planning getaways has
never been this convenient
with the help of PALs
hassle-free and time-saving
packages. Visitswingaround.
philippineairlines com. n

2
3

Fly with PAL and explore 1 the pristine island of Saipan, 2 the bustling
streets of Shibuya, and 3 the enchanting waters of Tablas, all hassle-free.

WWW.PHILIPPINEAIRLINES.COM 55