FLAG CARRIER, Philippine Airlines (PAL), is celebrating its diamond anniversary with a coffee table book meant to “honor the past, celebrate the present and innovate the future.”
Entitled 75 Year of Celebrating the Heart of the Filipino, the 200-page book designed by Manuel L. Roma, Jr., is full of memorabilia — news clippings and photos — as well as historical trivia including the evolution of the PAL cabin crew uniform and logo since its launch in 1941.
The book also had stories on the airline’s first international stewardess, Rebecca Verzosa-Santos, and the company’s first female pilot, Aurora Carandang-Gloria, as well as stories on Pope Saint John Paul II’s visit in 1981 and Pope Francis’ visit in 2015 among many others.
“PAL’s story is also the story of the Philippines and the Filipino people. The flag carrier is our country’s ambassador to the world,” Dr. Lucio C. Tan, PAL chairman and CEO, wrote in the book.
“Five years ago, the project [for a coffee table book] was put forward in celebration of the 70th anniversary,” said Jaime J. Bautista, president and COO of PAL during the book launch on July 1 at Century Park Hotel in Pasay City.
He added that five years ago, it felt that it wasn’t the right time to publish a book about PAL but now the time has arrived.
The book is also the “first official coffee table book” of the company as “two former officials from PAL’s corporate communications department published their own separate books several years back.”
“But this is the first successful book by PAL, about PAL, and for PAL,” said Mr. Bautista.
The book is priced at P1,975 and can be bought at the PAL boutique in PNB Macapagal and at its ancillary business units.
A major part of the proceeds will go to the PAL Foundation. — ZBC
