MANILA, Philippines- Tokyo, Japan. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Pachingko, the Japanese pinball ball-bearing pastime which is virtual gambling for cigarettes, is ubiquitous despite video games.
Japan hiked taxes on cigarettes by ¥100 per pack, but it hasn't deterred smokers.
Seoul Incheon rated best international airport, followed by Singapore Changi and Hong Kong. Ninoy Aquino International Airport wasn't even a blip despite 25th anniversary of EDSA. But some good news follows...
After passing the baton to MVP as Meralco Chairman and CEO, Manuel Lopez is now our man in Tokyo. Ambassador Lopez knows that Ambassador Domingo Siazon Jr., who spoke Nihongo like a native, is a hard act to follow.
Moreover, unlike his previous job, in diplomacy, one doesn't just push a button and Redi Kilowatt lights up at the other end. He has professionals to help him make haste slowly.
Before presenting his letters of credence to His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito, on 14 March 2011, our new envoy is already flying high... not as a Blue Eagle but onboard the inaugural flight of All Nippon Airways.
ANA 949 inaugural flight to Manila landed last night at 21.15H at NAIA3...thus ending the suspended animation of our Dumbo White Elephant.
DoTC Secretary Ping de Jesus welcomed the inaugural flight. Huli man at dumating... 9 years after its scheduled ribbon-cutting... magaling din ang take-off ng NAIA3. Cathay Pacific will soon follow to NAIA3... and so will other major airlines.
A cultural dance performance by students of foreign studies of the Tokyo University sent off the ANA inaugural flight.
VIPs accompanying the Ambassador and Mme. Maria Teresa Lagdameo Lopez are Shinya Katano, Executive VP of ANA, Kosaburo Morinakja and Hishashi Katakoa (President and General Manager, respectively, of Narita Airport Terminal CO.), and the big prize, Akira Kanai, Chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Jungo Kikuma (Vice Chairman), Kosuke Shibata (President), and 10 other board members representing their respective travel agencies.
Our envoy believes that tourism brings trade... and trade brings investments.
Ende gut, alles gut (German translation of Shakespeare's ''All's well that ends well''). Finally a thorn on the side of Philippine-German economic relations (NAIA vs Fraport) has been removed.
It wasn't fair for Fraport to heap the blame on NAIA3...when it wasn't exactly Little Red Riding Hood waylaid by a wolf. Eyes wide open, it upped the ante. It takes two to tango.
Both sides were consenting adults; and happily, an amicable settlement is reached.
Ambassador Lopez is betting on much better results of the just-concluded qualifying exams in Japan for our Filipina nurses. (This time some questions were in English). With their TLC, our nurses are our best ambassadors of goodwill.
Our man in Tokyo can have multiplier with the ''Manila Club'' ...an informal gathering of the 25 foreign envoys in Tokyo who are concurrently accredited to the Philippines.
He dropped running to take on the role as presiding chairman of the ASEAN Center in Tokyo. Feedback: jaz_aide@yahoo.com.
