Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
THE PHILIPPINES. Today’s selection of images come from Clark International Airport, gateway to Pampanga province. I snapped them on my iPhone after disembarking from a Cebu Pacific Air flight ex-Hong Kong, writes Martin Moodie.
It’s a neat, efficient airport serving domestic (1,042,589 last year, up +23%) and international (1,710,512, +10%) passengers, offering a warm welcome to this beautiful part of the Republic.
An important part of that welcome is an excellent arrivals duty-free shop run by the Clark Travel Retail Corp consortium.
The store offers a particularly good range of local and international spirits. I bought a bottle of Don Papa MassKara, featuring what ranks among the most vibrant liquor packaging I have seen.
The juice is equally beguiling. The premium spirit is blended with a pot still infusion of tropical ingredients locally sourced in the Philippines. The calamansi lime (native to the Philippines) contributes distinctive citrus notes, while the fiery local pepper, siling labuyo (one of the hottest chilis in the world), adds a touch of heat and spice.
It’s an enticing combination, best drunk neat and ideally accompanied by a good local cigar.
The name pays homage to Negros Occidental’s famed MassKara Festival. This annual celebration, dedicated to finding joy in the face of adversity, embodies the rich, vibrant and authentic soul of the Philippines. ✈
