French Kusina

Food lovers will be glad to know that chef Xavier Btesh came out with his French Kusina cookbook that features easy-to-follow French and Mediterranean recipes.

Xavier is a good friend of mine. I have his first cookbook, which was published in French. I am happy that he came out with this easy-to-follow cookbook, now in English.

Recently, Fila, led by its president and CEO Cris Albert, held a book signing for Xavier at the Manila House Private Members Club in Bonifacio Global City. At the event, guests were welcomed with refreshments like calamansi mint coolers. Of course, wine was served, too.

Xavier, who thanked guests and Cris for the wonderful book signing event, prepared French dishes such as bell pepper salad, chicken lemon tajine, pesto linguini and tarragon chicken.

(French Kusina is now available in all National Book Store branches.)

Singaporean Ambassador Kok Li Peng and Singapore Airlines Cargo Regional VP for Southeast Asia Daniel Foong.

‘A tale of SIA cities’

As part of a year-long celebration of its 70th anniversary, Singapore Airlines recently held a special thanksgiving dinner dubbed “A Tale of SIA Cities” at Manila House at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Guests were treated to a gastronomic journey with food and music representing the airline’s key destinations for the past seven decades. The dinner was also a way to showcase the great heights that Singapore Airlines has soared and to express gratitude to the people who have helped the airline company along the way.

Regional VP for Southeast Asia Philip Goh said, “Inspired and driven to deliver a great way to fly, Singapore Airlines has soared through countless milestones and pioneered various innovations to deliver unparalleled service and travel experience to our customers. It has truly been an amazing journey so far and as we stand here today, the airline is embarking on a new transformation journey as we continue to build and strengthen the SIA legacy further.”

For her part, Singaporean Ambassador Kok Li Peng said, “I congratulate Singapore Airlines for 70 years of unwavering passion and leadership in bridging the gap across nations through travel. I am looking forward to the countless milestones SIA will venture into in the years to come.”

Tasked with the responsibility of leading the team into this new chapter is the new general manager of SIA Philippines, Balagopal Kunduvara. Using his extensive background in SIA, from engineering to business development, Kunduvara is set to take on this challenge to further strengthen the position of the airline in the country. 

He said, “It is with pride and honor that I take on the responsibility of leading the transformation of Singapore Airlines in the Philippines, and building up on our position as the carrier of choice for Filipinos. The country has been a significant contributor to the growth and evolution of the company and my goal is to give Filipinos the level of service and travel experience they truly deserve.”

SIA flies from Manila to Singapore four times daily, connecting to onward flights around the world. Passengers traveling from Cebu, Davao and Kalibo can fly to Singapore via SilkAir, which flies 12 times weekly from Cebu, nine times weekly from Davao and three times weekly from Kalibo.

STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte and MediCard COO Jon Montoya.

Healthy mind & healthy body

The 30th anniversary of MediCard, a leading health maintenance organization (HMO) provider in the country, saw business partners, corporate clients and providers enjoying a night of grand fete and entertainment at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

“Brave the World” — that is the theme that the company has put forward to emphasize its commitment to encourage Filipinos to capitalize on their health to persevere, seize more opportunities and pursue a better future.

MediCard president Dr. Nicky Montoya said, “Through the years, we, at MediCard, have put a premium on the well-being of our members. On top of quality healthcare services, we have come up with several groundbreaking innovations that allow convenience in healthcare. We believe that giving our members a healthy mind and a healthy body will empower each of them to brave the world and be more productive members of our society.”

It also launched its newest innovation, the MACE app, a powerful application that allows MediCard members to transact in a non-terminal based mobile platform such as Android smartphones or tablets.

Singers serenaded guests with all-time favorite ballads and MediCard’s newest jingle composed by renowned Filipino composer Louie Ocampo with lyrics by Jules Dacanay.

(For more information, visit www.medicardphils.com and www.facebook.com/MEDICard.Philippines.)

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)