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The 16-decker MS Oasis of the Seas is scheduled to be the first Royal Caribbean cruise ship to include the Subic Bay Freeport on its Asian itinerary.
Subic calling SUBIC FREEPORT BEEFS UP FACILITIES IN BID TO BECOME GLOBAL CRUISE SHIP DESTINATION
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By Henry Empeño | Special to the BusinessMirror
advertently became Subic visitors when their ship was diverted from Manila because of some high-level Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in November 2015. Even the 7107 Islands Cruise, which was billed as the first cruise ship to fly the Philippine flag, did not sail past the first salvo after it announced in February 2009 that Subic would be its home port. Now, Subic’s patience and faith may finally pay off, as it girds to welcome in June one of the world’s largest cruise ships, the MS Oasis of the Seas, to start what is expected to be a regular route that would finally make Subic a global cruise ship destination.
UBIC BAY FREEPORT—Subic has shifted to higher gear its preparations to become a global cruise ship destination, a long-held dream that is fast becoming a reality. Just like the exotic tropics of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia, Phuket in Thailand and Langkawi in Malaysia, the Subic Bay Freeport has much to offer in terms of raw adventure, picturesque landscape and indigenous culture. And then, just like the urban jungles of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, it also has the man-made allures of theme parks, hotels and shops that the weary world traveler may look for. This combination has fueled hopes that this former American military resupply and rest-and-
recreation facility may one day welcome upon its shores foreign visitors that would come in droves to frolic on its beaches, trek inside its triple-canopied rainforests, or learn the ancient ways of the native Ayta tribe. But cruise ship visits, alas, had been few and far in between. In recent memory, only two small cruise ships had ventured into Subic Bay: MV Spirit of Adventure, which brought in 378 passengers and 201 crewmembers in February 2012; and MV Silver Shadow, whose 700 guests and crew in-
IMPRESSIVE SITES
Subic checked out as a potential cruise ship itinerary during a two-day visit here in December of officials of the cruise vacation giant Royal Caribbean International SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma (right) briefs Royal Caribbean president for China and North Asia Pacific Region Zinan Liu and his team during an inspection of the Alava Pier in the Subic Bay Freeport
Continued on A2
2018 should be year of ads that respect consumers
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By Roger Pe
The world has heard many culturally, religiously and politically incorrect jokes. Racist, gender and other kinds of jokes proliferate on social media. Physically challenged people are the most common target. The overweight, pug-nosed, dark-skinned, the list could fill up a page. At this age, too, many people still subscribe to the idea that “women with whiter skin are prettier”. Thus, we see too many skinwhitening products surfacing in the local market and Pinays, even
men, gobble them up, all wanting to look like Snow White. Name it, women had been there to sell practically every brand on the planet. Advertisers and their ad agencies will not stop to venture far beyond their imagination, even bordering on the bizarre. Have you heard about using suicide to sell a car? Two well-known brands made global headlines because of the rhubarb their respective ad campaigns created. Not because they swept awards one after the other from
PESO exchange rates n US 49.8790
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ot all jokes are funny. One joke can be funny to Steve, but not to Dave or vice versa. Another joke can be funny to Pietro, but not to Pedro.
the world’s biggest advertising festivals but because their bright ideas spawned controversies. A car brand and its ad agency publicly apologized for a commercial they produced, showing a man trying to kill himself with the exhaust fumes from his new vehicle. The commercial was about the car’s clean-air emission feature. To dramatize it, the ad showed the car windows all taped up and a hose running from the exhaust pipe to the house. Soon, fumes filled it up, but we see the man still breathing hardly without a headache. According to the World Health Organization, one person commits suicide somewhere in the world every 40 seconds. The ad may have triggered some viewers to relive painful memories about loved ones that did the same. This is probably what happened to Holly Brockwell, a Lon-
don advertising copywriter. In her blog, Brockwell said her father killed himself in the same way as was shown in the ad. She posted a photo of her father's suicide note and wrote to the carmaker. Here, we are reprinting it: “I’ve worked on automotive accounts. I actually worked on a Japanese brand. And strangely, not once did it seem that the best way—the most intelligent way, the most creative way—to advertise their products to people was to remind them of the horrendous event that is suicide. Strangely enough, I could— and still can—think of a thousand more interesting, creative ideas that wouldn’t have left me feeling like I’ve just lost my dad all over again. So, I’d like to ask that next time you want to tell the world about a new innovation in car design, you think about it for a little bit longer. Think
n japan 0.4425 n UK 67.6110 n HK 6.3808 n CHINA 7.6808 n singapore 37.5850 n australia 39.2149 n EU 60.2089 n SAUDI arabia 13.3003
See “Ads,” A2 Source: BSP (5 January 2018 )