Etihad Airways to Introduce Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Moroccan Capital Rabat

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Effective 3 October 2018, Etihad Airways will introduce the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on its scheduled services from Abu Dhabi to Rabat, capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, replacing the Airbus A330-300 currently serving the route.

The introduction of the technologically advanced aircraft on Rabat services is a further boost to its presence in the Moroccan market. On 1 May this year, the airline placed the 787 Dreamliner on its daily flights to the kingdom’s commercial hub, Casablanca. The move to place the aircraft on Rabat flights will provide customers travelling on Etihad Airways’ Moroccan routes with full product consistency, the latest inflight technology, and increased cargo capacity to further boost trade.

Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Morocco is a very important destination on the Etihad network, underscoring the close cultural and commercial ties between the kingdom and the UAE.

“Our flights to Rabat and Casablanca have proved tremendously popular with UAE and Moroccan nationals, and residents. Adding the 787 Dreamliner on all our Moroccan services will now provide our customers flying to both capitals with the same award-winning cabins, innovative seating and products.”

Etihad Airways’ three-class version of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features 8 private First Suites, 28 Business Studios and 199 Economy Smart Seats.

To meet summer peak travel demand, Etihad Airways recently added a third weekly service to Rabat, operating every Saturday until 29 September. The extra flight provides more choice to the increasing number of point-to-point business and leisure travellers between both cities.

Etihad Airways has been serving Rabat since January 2016, providing the only long-haul link from the city, and the only service operated by the 787 Dreamliner.

Etihad Airways has had a codeshare partnership in place with Royal Air Maroc (RAM) since May 2007, with the Moroccan flag carrier placing its ‘AT’ code on Etihad services from Abu Dhabi to both Rabat and Casablanca.

Under the agreement, Etihad Airways places its ‘EY’ code on Royal Air Maroc’s services from Casablanca to Agadir, Marrakech and Tangier, and pending government approvals, from Casablanca to Abidjan in Ivory Coast, Conakry in Guinea, and Dakar in Senegal.

Abu Dhabi – Rabat schedule:

Effective 3 October 2018 (Timings local):

Flight No.	Origin	Departs	Destination	Arrives	Aircraft	Frequency
EY615	Abu Dhabi	10:40	Rabat	16:00	Boeing 787-9	Wednesday, Friday
EY616	Rabat	19:40	Abu Dhabi	06:20+1	Boeing 787-9	Wednesday, Friday

Acclaimed Latin American films on spotlight at new Instituto Cervantes Cinema in Intramuros

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Instituto Cervantes will feature “Four Gems of Latin American Cinema,” a series of critically acclaimed and award-winning films directed by Latin American filmmakers, every Saturday during the month of August at the new Intramuros branch of the Spanish cultural center.

The film cycle, which serves as an invitation to appreciate Latin American cinematography, will kick off on August 4, 6 p.m., with the screening of "Azul y no tan rosa" (My Straight Son), a plea for respect and non-discrimination due to sexual orientation. It won the 2013 LGBT Montreal Film Festival Best Feature and the 2014 Goya Award for Best Latin American Film. 

Directed by Miguel Ferrari, the film tells the story of Diego, a successful Venezuelan fashion photographer, who decides to formalize his relationship with his boyfriend Fabrizio by moving in with him. A tragic accident leaves his partner in a coma. Unexpectedly, he is obliged to take care of his own son, Armando, who lives in Spain and with whom he has not seen in years. Now, both of them have to adapt to each other -- Armando to the unknown, homosexual world of his father, and Diego to the closed attitude of his teenage son. 

Next to be shown as part of the film series is El método (The Method) on August 11, 6 p.m. Based on a famous play by Jordi Galcerán and directed by Argentine filmmaker Marcelo Piñeyro, El método explores the dark inner mechanisms of the corporate world.

Seven candidates are put together in a meeting room as part of final selection process for a single high-level position in a multinational corporation. Then, they are informed that one of them is not a candidate but an employee from HR analyzing their attitudes. What follows is a series of fierce tests which will question their priorities, ethics and loyalty under stress.

On August 18, 6 p.m., the masterfully-crafted thriller El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) will be shown. Benjamin Esposito, a legal counselor who is about to retire, starts writing a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior -- both of which still haunt him decades later. 

Writing the book leads Benjamin to investigate his own past and a period of Argentina’s history marked by violence and death. Arguably the best work by talented Argentinean filmmaker Juan José Campanella, it has received more than 50 international awards, among them the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film, and the Goya Award for Best Latin American Film.

The comedy Lista de espera (Waiting List) concludes the film cycle on August 25, 8 p.m. Directed by Juan Carlos Tabío, it tells the story of a group of passengers who wait for their transportation at a Cuban bus station. 

However, the passengers have no way to get on any bus, as all buses that pass are full. The administrator does not see any solution and intends to close the terminal. Even so, they decide to stay and repair an old bus -- as a strange and tender story is woven among them.

This film series "Four Gems of Latin American Cinema" is presented by Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Spain, and the Film Archives of AECID, with the support of Intramuros Administration and Accenture. 

Instituto Cervantes Intramuros is located at Casa Azul, a two-floor replica of a 19th-century Philippine house at Plaza San Luis Complex, next to San Agustin Church. Designed to complement the cultural and academic activities of the main branch in Makati, it has a 90-seat auditorium, an exhibition room, classrooms, and a library containing over 30,000 items. 

All the films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please visit the Instituto Cervantes’ website (http://manila.cervantes.es) or its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila). 

Ignite 2018 Startup Insights

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I was at Shangrila Makati Day1 of Ignite Start Up Ph Summit - The Philippines Premiere Innovation Conference. Roamed around and listened to several speakers and start up. Some booths offer chat support, fintech, office spaces and more. To support business even bloggers to maximize time and resources.

Also the shared thoughts about the Role of Accelerators in Creating World Changing Startups. Interesting talks about emerging market scale and tech startup industry issues. The 2 day conference offers strong connections between start ups, entrepreneurs and investors.

Listening to panels is like in a boardroom of the apprentice or shark tank. Where the start ups pitch on what they were doing and investors kneel down to be part of that successful start up business pie. Reading the mind mind of both start up and investors make me come up with these questions. 

Why should I buy you? Or why should I invest on you? Why should I start partnering with you? Why should I select you over other banks? Its like the silicon valley of Manila moments where everybody wanted to share its passion and excitement when it come to start up. 

The question and answer open mic were delivered to satisfy both panel and audience. More than 500 attendees gathered together to hear the talks and buzz of the next Alibaba, Facebook, Amazon, Oracle, Google or Instagram like talks inspiration that once a start up. 

I did several start up ventures then failed. Here I am again listening and gathering ideas to same mind like. So Im back to corporate world, gathering enough resources to start a start up that was started several years ago. But still thinking to continue the reinvention start up ideas on the other hand  still always underconstruction. To follow the lead that  Mark, Elon and Jack footsteps made before. 

Panels discussions were juicy and useful for customize business solution.  Much more of understanding the detailed metrics when it comes to target markets. Because each demographics is different. And focus on what is really important when it come to expansion, partnership and acquisition even exit. @jbiadog