Biz Buzz: Coming soon: Direct flights to Paris
The Olympic Games are over and thanks to double gold medalist Carlos Yulo and the entire athletic delegation, Paris 2024 is indeed one for the books.
For those who can’t get enough of the “City of Lights” but detest the long flights and airport layovers, their woes will soon be over as they will be given the option to fly from Manila directly to Paris.
Air France is in talks with aviation authorities and San Miguel group, the new concessionaire of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, to soon introduce direct flights to the French capital, a source privy to the discussions told Biz Buzz.
This will make Paris an even more attractive gateway to Europe, especially at this time that revenge travelers are going to the old world in droves.
Especially this summer in the western hemisphere, the waiting time just to secure an appointment for a visa application to European Union states, especially France, is like lining up for tickets to UAAP championship games.
Based on anecdotal evidence, more and more affluent Filipinos are also investing in vacation homes in Paris. With working from home a common setup these days, why not?
It’s been a long time since travelers from the Philippines had access to direct flights to Europe.
Many years ago, flag carrier Philippine Airlines flew directly to London (for a little more than 15 hours), while Dutch airline KLM carried passengers directly to Amsterdam.
But more than satiating the wanderlust of Pinoys and jet-setting expats who have chosen to make this country their home, hopefully the opening of direct flights between Manila and Paris will also bring in more of those high-spending European tourists looking for tropical paradise, as well as investors scouting for business opportunities in a fast-growing economy. —Doris Dumlao-Abadilla
R Coffee, anyone?
For many Filipinos, mornings are not complete without a hot cup of coffee.
But how about coffee that not only promises to perk you up but also promotes Filipino heritage and culture?
That is what R Coffee is bringing to the table.
Launched by Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, R Coffee —under the tagline “It’s (ou)r coffee”—has been rolled out across the six Summit Hotels under the Gokongwei-led hospitality group. R Coffee is 80-percent arabica and 20-percent robusta for that well-balanced blend that can also define the Filipino: strong but with a touch of sweetness.
Then to help promote what makes the Philippines unique, Barun Jolly, SVP and Business Unit General Manager of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR), says new designs for coffee cups will be introduced every quarter and all will be inspired by Filipino heritage or culture or landscape.
“The Philippines is known for its hospitality and rich and varied landscape. Through our bespoke-designed cups that we will unveil every quarter, it is RHR’s own little way of promoting Filipino heritage and culture to all coffee lovers with coffee cups designed with features that are unique and with distinctly Filipino elements,” said Jolly.
RHR also localizes the designs, such that tuna is featured in the coffee cup design for Summit Hotel in General Santos City, while the Tacloban hotel gives a starring role to the iconic San Juanico Bridge.
As the hospitality group further expands, expect more designs and R Coffee that pledges to be “great coffee guaranteed.” —Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Raving about PERA
The Personal Equity and Retirement Account (Pera)—a voluntary retirement savings program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that supplements state-based pension plans and employer-sponsored retirement plans—is becoming more popular among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
This is based on latest data from the BSP, which showed that out of the P457.61 million cumulative Pera contributions as of June 2024, around P78.8 million of that amount came from 782 OFW contributors.
That made OFWs the second biggest investor of Pera, beating the 880 self-employed individuals whose total contributions so far amounted to P63.12 million.
Meanwhile, employees continued to be the top contributor to Pera at P315.73 million.
Pera is a powerful tool in ensuring financial security upon retirement and promoting financial freedom for Filipino families. Notably, it provides contributors with tax benefits that are not available in other retirement investment products.
No wonder then that more Filipinos—not just OFWs—are raving about it. —Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral
