No more peanuts

You can tell that the management of Philippine Airlines has changed. They no longer give you peanuts during domestic flights. I used to amuse myself by counting the number of peanuts in that itsy-bitsy little packet the stewardesses give you, and until now I still remember that the least number of peanuts I counted was 23, and the most 28. Now the peanuts are gone, only the small pack of biscuits are given out. But there is a brochure stuck in the back of the seat in front of you offering to sell some goodies, including soft drinks and beer.

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But it is very different in the lounge where some passengers can relax while waiting for their flight in international airports. In Hongkong, for instance, we found ourselves at one such place where one can choose from a variety of dishes, ranging from salads, sandwiches, soup, calderetta, pasta, and a lot more, that could spoil your dinner on flight. And what makes the stay there so enjoyable is that the staff have very good P.R., and cajole you into trying this dish and that, as if they were really your hosts.

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For whom was the parade and confetti reception? Makati the other day held a huge reception through a grand parade, supposedly to honor the returning ring hero, Manny Pacquiao. Of course Manny deserves a parade, but some people think it was not really for him, because it featured very prominently the Binay father and son, who are both in hot water because of various issues involving governance, particularly overpricing. So far, the father, Vice President Jejomar, the mother, Dr. Elenita, and the son Junior Binay, all of them have been mayor of Makati, with the son as incumbent.

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So for the crowds who gathered to catch a glimpse of the Pambansang Kamao, or “National Fist” that is Manny Pacquiao, the presence of the Binays with the Pacman, naturally sent a strong message of endorsement for the presidency. Clever presentations like this are surely among the things that makes the VP sure, until now, that he is unbeatable as far as the position is concerned. Otherwise, why would he be telling the gathering of Boy Scouts, “See you in Malacañang”? Well, as they say, “Man proposes…”

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Meanwhile, how can we convince Pacquiao, and his crafty promoter Bob Arum, to also stage one of his fights in the Philippines? If it is audiences he is worried about, I am sure he will be able to get a very big one here. In Macau last week, the arena of The Venetian was bursting at the seams, figuratively, and probably half, or more of those present were people coming from various countries just to see the fight. Maybe the Pinoys outnumbered them all, and so will they if ever such a fight were held here. Imagine the focus and the tourism potential that could give the country.

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Lately I saw a TV show where a commentary was made on the boxing record of the former Cassius Clay, now known as Muhammed Ali. The commentator recalled the fight between him and legendary Joe Frazier that was held in Manila, titled the “Thrilla in Manila”, and called it the “most epical” and the “greatest fight in history”. Of course there is no use dreaming of an encounter between Pacquiao and the slippery Floyd Mayweather, but there are other fish in the ocean that can give as great a show that could summon fight lovers from all over the world. Meanwhile, has anybody noticed that Ali is the exact opposite of Manny Pacquiao? While Ali is such a braggart, boasting about his power, and insulting his opponent, both in and out of the ring, Pacq uiao is humble, soft-spoken and respectful. It takes all kinds, really, and we should be happy we have Manny.

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Our Health officials are really not taking chances as far as epidemics, new or old, are concerned. At airports, travelers are asked to fill up a form where one has to indicate whether one has been sick lately, has a cold, a cough, a sore throat, etc. I guess that is to determine whether there are potential carriers coming into the country. On our flight back from Hongkong, after Macau, I was very, very careful not to sneeze or cough, lest I be suspected of carrying some virus back to the country.

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But there is encouraging news where the deadly Ebola virus is concerned, because researchers in the United States have announced that a vaccine that shows signs of mastering the virus, is being developed. The ones working on this are connected with the National Institute of Health and, so far, the tests seem successful. Let us hope they will be as successful as those who invested the vaccines that have controlled other killers in the past like cholera, smallpox, polio and even tuberculosis. In the meantime, however, we can’t be too careful about keeping Ebola away from our shores.*

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