Duty-free ‘Pasko’

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 17:00:22 +0000

WHAT a delightful “Maligayang Pasko” feeling, to be at the formal inauguration of Duty Free Philippines’ Luxe mall in MOA! What fun everyone had finding themselves in the midst of a native and tropical Christmas, surrounded by islands of imported goods, at the crossroads where the world’s luxury brands meet the best of Philippine products.

Doubly delightful was the home-for-Christmas-in-our-town theme interpreted by stylist Gideon Hernandez – fishermen’s and shrimp catchers’ baskets hanging with twisting vines from the ceiling, coffee tables made of braided reeds and weeds, serving trays lined with woven mats, embroidered jusi balls hanging on the tree, capiz shells scattered all over the dining table. Not surprising that the caterer of the day, Alex del Rosario, served an all-Filipino merienda cena that was capped by a drink of edible pink flowers floating in ice-cold coconut water.

A pity Tourism Secretary Berna R. Puyat was not around to cut the ribbon with Senator Nancy Binay, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, and DFP COO Vico Angala. In her signature modern-Filipina attire Ms. Puyat would’ve turned heads as guests toured the new mall’s two floors of merchandise aimed at pleasing a girl’s heart at gift-giving time. According to Mr. Angala, DFP raked in $4.2 million in two days in mid-November, mostly from shoppers from China. And why not? China, said a DFP supplier, “is not cheap if you’re buying luxury goods; Japan would be cheaper.”

Alas, also not cheap are PH products of a certain class and quality. Ms. Binay, who was garbed in a jusi blouse, not barong, and carr
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