PAL's Mabuhay Lounge

I arrived Tuesday afternoon from Manila for my regular NCCA meeting. We, national committee members, take Philippine Airlines (since the National Commission for Culture & the Arts is directly under the Office of the President of the Philippines) for our official trips in connection with our voluntary work with the NCCA. Since this is my fourth year as Central Visayas coordinator for the National Committee on Literary Arts, I have chalked up miles to become an Elite member of the Mabuhay Miles group. But only just recently.

So, it is only recently (as in three months ago) that I have enjoyed the convenience of PAL's Mabuhay domestic lounges, both in Cebu and in Manila. I have also savored the amenities of the Mabuhay Lounge in the International Departure at Centennial Airport when I took PAL to the USA in November, 2003 and during my recent PAL-sponsored trip to Jakarta.

It is fortunate that I started enjoying the Mabuhay Lounge when the Manila lounge has just undergone a complete renovation. I even had to make do with a Delifrance meal coupon at the time it was still closed for renovation. True to expectations, the spanking new Mabuhay Lounge at Centennial is spacious, with a buffet area that is conveniently located at center. Then, the wide area is segmented into lounging space for those who want easy comfort for their tired and aching backs, and dining set-up for those who want to eat and drink properly, with a wide-screen television nearby. Everything is self-service so one only takes a few steps to get to the newspapers and magazines at the center divider, next to the buffet counter, from wherever one has deposited one's luggage.

Being of Chinese ancestry, I always go for congee whenever I spot it. Mabuhay Lounges offer a steaming hot pot of chicken porridge, Filipino style (arroz caldo), along with the familiar western style finger sandwiches and fresh fruits. In the new lounge, Japanese sushi and fresh garden green salads are additions to the typical menu, along with Indian samosas and Cantonese dimsum buns. Hence, for the starving traveler on the go, the delectable spread on the buffet counter is a welcome convenience. So are the variety of beverages at the chiller, along with pouring brewed coffee and tea beside it.

The Mabuhay Lounge can be a meeting place for regular travelers. I was glad when I bumped into a friend I have not seen for many years now. I believe he was on a connecting flight to Bacolod, leaving later than my flight. We got ourselves back to my table and started updating ourselves with each other's lives. I even got from him the number of a common friend that I have long been trying to reach. Being hushed, cool and relaxing, the ambiance of Mabuhay Lounge is ideal for a quiet chat, a business deal, pensive moments or merely jotting down things in-between flights.

Or, you can be lucky and capture a far corner where you can really take a nap if your flight is an hour or so away. The lounge attendants can be requested to wake you up when it's your boarding time. You see, even the TV set is turned down low in order to preserve the relaxing ambiance.

There, you see, are the advantages of being an Elite member of the Mabuhay Miles coterie...but you have to earn those required miles to stay in that level. By the way, it is easy to claim your miles. I got it right away, when I used my earned miles for the Cebu-Manila-Cebu leg on my trip to the US in 2003.

Yeah, it is worth your effort to be Mabuhay Miles Elite.