100 Lucky Juans to a joyful homecoming

(L-R) Alex Reyes, General Manager for Cebu Pacific’s Long-haul Division and Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific President and CEO, share the vision of making more frequent reunions for overseas Pinoys and their families through Cebu Pacific’s direct flights to Dubai.

MANILA, Philippines – 100 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were reunited with their loved ones in the Philippines through Cebu Pacific and its partner’s 100 Lucky Juans promo. Families and friends of the winning OFWs surprised their loved ones in a touching reunion celebration at Resorts World Manila.

The 100 Lucky Juans flew back home last October 7, aboard the Dubai-Manila maiden flight of the country’s leading low-cost carrier. These include Michael Cerillo, who has been working in the UAE for 23 years. “Mula no’ng pagtapak ko sa UAE, ngayon lang nagkaroon ng ganitong promo kaya nagpapapasalamat ako sa kanila. Gusto ko na umuwi kasi nami-miss ko na aking pamilya (Since I set foot in the UAE, this is the first time that they had a promo like this, so I’m really thankful. I really wanted to go home because I miss my family),” he said.

“Nami-miss ko na ang aking bulinggit. Sobrang saya kasi napaaga ‘yung bakasyon ko instead of December (I really miss my little one. I’m so happy because I got to go home earlier for a vacation instead of going in December),” said Joanna Baluyut, who has been working in the Middle East for two years.

“’Yung ticket ko na panalo, sobrang laking tulong na po sa’min na OFW. ‘Yung pera ng pambili mo ng ticket, pampasalubong na sa ‘Pinas (Winning the ticket to fly home is a big help for OFWs like us. The money we could’ve spent on the ticket, we can now give to our families),” added John John Cabrillos, who has been based in the Middle East for a year.

A total of 100 winners were named in the promo’s 14-week run from June 3 to Sept. 2, 2013. To join, the contestants simply had to “like” the official Cebu Pacific Facebook page, click on the 100 Lucky Juans application, and answer the question: “How will I make my homecoming in the Philippines fun?”

Answers were submitted as a photo collage, two-minute video or essay with 200 words or less. These were judged based on creativity, adherence to the theme and the number of “likes” they garnered on the social networking site. The contestant’s length of stay in the UAE was also a factor in the results.

“Cebu Pacific is very proud to be reuniting 100 of our hardworking kababayans with their families in the Philippines. This has made our maiden Dubai-Manila flight a truly meaningful milestone,” said Cebu Pacific President and CEO Lance Gokongwei. “We look forward to be of service to even more Filipinos, as we continue to offer our trademark low fares to even more long haul destinations in the future. ”

“I commend Cebu Pacific for their commitment to serve Global Filipinos. We at the UAE are fortunate to now have a low fare travel alternative so we can come home more often,” said Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Grace Relucio-Princesa. “We look forward to more Cebu Pacific flights in the Middle East soon.”

The first and only Philippine carrier with direct flights to Dubai, Cebu Pacific offers daily flights from Manila starting October 7, with year-round fares starting at P4,999.

Make family reunions with your loved ones happen with Cebu Pacific. For more information, booking and inquiries, visit www.cebupacificair.com. (advt)