New Airline to seek domination in Philippine skies!

 I guess this new airline has been making buzz in the past few months. Who would have thought that a new airline company would be created despite the threats of global recession and sky-rocketing movements of oil prices around the world? Such a brave move huh?

Spirit of Manila Airlines Corporation (Spirit of Manila) is the latest Filipino-owned airline company offering scheduled international and regional passenger services from Manila/Clark to key Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The airline is based in the Clark Freeport Zone at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark Field, Pampanga. Spirit of Manila is designed for Filipino and international travelers, offering safe, reliable and on-time airline services through its experienced and dedicated staff whose objective is to satisfy the expectations of its passengers. The airline offers budget fares and other innovative schemes to cater to the overseas Filipino workers. Most of the airline staff have vast experience and expertise in the areas of airline operation and maintenance. They are trained and certified in their respective line of responsibilities.

SOM is currently offering promos that can be availed of on a limited time. For as low as P1000, you can already get a one-way ticket to Taipei, Taiwan-home of the world’s second largest tower, Taipei 101 while a ticket to Bahrain only costs P15,000. (exlusive of applicable government taxes, of course). While load factor seems to be low during its first few flights, SOM is putting its marketing efforts to a higher level to create a bullish competition against other major airlines.

I hope SOM will also expand its operations and soon apply for flying rights in NAIA. This would definitely help increase load factor of the airline and awareness of the company.

Beyonce, Swift and Gaga take home Grammy Awards!

The long wait is over! The much-anticipated 52nd Grammy Awards truly deserves a hands down!! What more, the night’s winners definitely deserve the coveted titles that represent the most valuable awards in the music industry.

Beyonce was presented with 10 nominations, of which she took home the Song of the Year “Single Ladies (Put a ring On it) and Female R&B Vocal Performance for the same song. She also won the Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “At Last”, Best R&B Song , Best Contemporary R&B Album for “I am….Sasha Fierce”. Wow!!

 Lady Gaga won Best Dance Recording award for her infamous “Poker Face” which battled equally popular “Boom Boom Pow” by Black Eyed Peas and “Celebration” by Madonna. Gaga also took the Best Electronic/Dance Album for “The Fame”

Meanwhile, my favorite teen superstar Taylor Swift grabbed the Female Country Vocal Performance for “Whitehorse” which also won Best Country Song. She also won Best Country Album for “Fearless”

Filipina wins 1st Runner-up in Supermodel of the World!

Just when everyone thought that we have already impressed the world in the film industry (remember Brillante Mendoza’s Best Director award in the Cannes Film Festival), and showed our singing prowess through Rhap Salazar’s breathtaking taking performance in the World Championship of Performing Arts that earned him the gold Medal award, here’s yet another news-breaking event that will surely make Filipinos proud again. Charlene “Chat” Almarvez, a 16-year-old model from Laguna, beat more than 30 contestants and won first runner-up in the recently concluded Ford Models’ Supermodel of the World. Aside from winning a US $150,000 exclusive contract with Ford New York, Almarvez will also appear in Fashion Week Fall next month.

Almarvez endured five days full of photo tests, walking lessons and interviews with some shopping and samba on the side at Sao Paulo, Brazil. She competed with models from Canada, France, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Kenya, Sweden, Bulgaria, Spain, United Kingdom, USA and Slovenia, among others. Karlina of Latvia won first place, followed by Almarvez, then Isabelle of Sweden, Olivia of the USA, Maryna of Belarus, Grace of Australia and Bruna of Brazil.

Almarvez stands at 5′9 1/2″  and studies business administration at the De La Salle University College of saint Benilde.

Manila Standard Today also lists Pinay models who placed in the competition: “1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez (runner-up in 1986), Crest Best Smile awardee Lala Flores (1990), and semifinalists Adel Go (1989), Lorena Pangan (1993), Joan de Mesa (2000), Marjay Ramirez (2002), and Verns Buckley (2003).”

Almarvez’ fellow Laguna native, Charo Ronquillo of Cabuyao was second runner-up in 2005 and has since modeled for Lacoste, Kenneth Cole, Mac Cosmetics Barbie Collection, Sisley and Benetton.

Established in 1980, Supermodel of the World discovered Chanel Iman, Renee Simonsen and Alexina Graham, among others. Ford Models’ current roster includes Iman, Lakshmi Menon, Brad Kroenig, Jacquelyn Jablonski and Crystal Renn

Thaksin and Manny Villar

 Last Thursday I got to watch a favorite noontime show of mine  when  one of those time-eating commercials got my attention. It was Nacionalista Party’s Presidential bet Manny Villar’s polcom. (before anything else, Im not in any way an avid supporter of him, nor got paid by him, ok) I noticed how Villar looks like, the shape of his face and his eyes. I suddenly remembered  another successful politician based in Thailand who later became one of the most well-known and wealthiest persons there- Thaksin Shinawatra. Now wonder why? Don’t they look pretty much the same?

And sure thing they have great similarities in terms of their success factors. They’re both businessmen- Thaksin as a telecom power and Villar is mostly known in the housing and real estate industry . Thaksin pulled out Thailand from real poverty when he assumed office as Prime Minister last from 2001-2006.  Villar on the other hand has served most of his political years as a Senator and is very much willing to continue serving the country, this time, as the head of state.

See their pictures and dare to compare!

Burj Khalifa, now the World’s Tallest Building!!

 

I was speechless the moment I saw the video displaying the recent  introduction of Burj Khalifa in this oil-rich kingdom of United Arab Emirates. I just don’t know how to react seeing another spectacular man-made structure amidst the fall of the world economy.Is this country being affected by global recession at all? Not obvious huh. Just like Laurent Belsie of CS Monitor said, the Burj Khalifa is an “exuberant architectural triumph in the middle of a deep economic swamp”

Long known as Burj Dubai — Arabic for “Dubai Tower” — the building rises 2,717 feet (828 meters) from the desert. The $1.5 billion “vertical city” of luxury apartments and offices and a hotel designed by Giorgio Armani also plans to have the world’s highest mosque (158th floor) and swimming pool (76th floor).

The exact number of floors for the Burj Khalifa is not known, and could reflect how the developer chose to calculate the total.

Mohammed Alabbar, chairman of the tower’s developer Emaar Properties, initially said Monday it had “more than 200″ stories, but he later backtracked to more than 165 inhabitable floors, given its tapered top. Promotional materials sent before the tower’s opening said it contained 160 stories. Developers say they are confident in the safety of the tower, which is nearly twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building.