Singapore Airlines & Philippine Star award 'A380 & Me' contest winners

MANILA, Philippines - Three lucky passengers of Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) magnificent A380 aircraft got the thrill of their lives, having won premium travel packages to any of SIA’s seven A380 destinations. Through the SIA’s “A380 & Me,” a story-writing competition launched by SIA and exclusive media partner The Philippine STAR, winners Byron John Siy, Leticia Bagtas and Dr. Cicero Matthew Habito shared their best memories of the comfort and care they experienced aboard one of the world’s biggest and roomiest airbuses.

First prize winner Siy, who was at the time taking his MBA at Oxford University, shared how his grief over the passing of his father in 2008 was somewhat eased by the comfort and amenities afforded on the A380 during his flight from London to Manila. Second prize winner Bagtas, 59, who had never traveled outside the Philippines, fondly recalled how she found a friend in the cabin crew on her A380 flight to Paris to see her first grandchild. Bagtas recounted how the crew went the extra mile to make her feel at home and forget her fears about taking her first trip abroad: every step of the way, from check-in to touch down in Paris, was smooth. Third prize winner Dr. Habito, a physician, was impressed by the aircraft crew’s efforts to make him relax after having attended to two medical cases during his flight on the A380.

The final judging of entries took place at Old Manila of the Peninsula Manila. The criteria for the selection of the winning entries were: uniqueness of topic and substance (that is, how that “extra factor” in the amenities of the A380 struck a memorable chord in the lives of the contestants); writing style; grammatical correctness; and brevity (380 words or less). A total of 91 entries were received, out of which 20 were shortlisted for final judging. And even if only the top three bagged premium prizes from SIA, the remaining 17 contestants each will receive an A380 aircraft model while all the rest who sent their entries to will receive A380 gifts as tokens of appreciation for their efforts.

Tasked to choose the final three winners were a panel of five judges, frequent SIA travelers themselves, chaired by Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines A. Selverajah. He was joined by Ambassador Roberto Romulo, The Philippine STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte, Singapore Airlines (Manila) general manager Andrew Budiman, and Solitaire PPS Club Lifetime member Augusto Nilo.

Ambassador Selverajah has enjoyed a distinguished career in foreign affairs, having served his country since July 1979. His work has taken him to practically all seven continents. Ambassador Romulo, Solitaire member of Singapore Airlines, is currently chairman of Chartis Philippines Insurance and several non-profit organizations. Belmonte has led The Philippine STAR’s phenomenal growth to become the country’s widest-read newspaper. Budiman joined Singapore Airlines in 2001, has served as SIA vice president for Canada, head of Airline Partnerships and Market Development, and as assistant manager for direct sales. Nilo, Solitaire PPS Club Life member of Singapore Airlines, has held chief executive positions in major business organizations in Asia and the USA.