MANILA, Philippines - After conquering a 46-day, 2,000-km. run across the Philippines, Joy Rojas moves on to a greater and potentially historic challenge — a 5,000-km. run from California to New York in a four-month project aptly called “Takbong Pangarap.”
Official carrier Asiana Airlines will fly Joy and a support crew including Mateo Macabe and project coordinator Chuck Crisanto to the run’s starting point in Los Angeles — scheduled for May — and back to Manila from their “finish line” at the Philippine Consulate at Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.
Named 2009 Airline of the Year by ATW’s 35th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards, Asiana has long established a sterling reputation for safety and operational excellence. Currently, the South Korean airline serves 66 international destinations with 515 weekly frequencies and 12 domestic destinations with 489 weekly services. Its cargo operates 56 weekly frequencies on 26 routes to 24 cities in 17 countries. Last year, Asiana carried 13.1 million passengers.
Other sponsors and supporters of Takbong Pangarap include Western Union, Adidas, Sportsade, Smart Communications, The Manila Peninsula, HSBC, Coach Shirts, Rustan’s Shopwise, Sony Ericsson, and Senator Pia Cayetano.