Neriza Sarmiento - Saito's
On the Road to A Bird’s Eye View On the Plight
Of Airline Companies MR. RAPHAEL G. ROMUALDO Area Manager PAL, Western Japan
On March 27th, I joined a live zoom session called Fiesta Filipinas organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Fiesta Filipinas is a series of online events featuring Philippine festivals, culture and tradition. The 3rd event was “Visita Iglesia“, coinciding with the Lenten season. As a matter of fact, I felt very nostalgic especially when various churches in Iloilo were shown in the virtual tour. It has been more than a year since I got on a plane, and now wondering when I’ll ever get a chance to travel back home again. As temperatures get mildly warm and cherry blossoms are in full bloom, it doesn’t
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seem to suffice my desire to smell the scent of flowers and candles at Processions on “Miyerkules Santo” and “Biyernes Santo“ and the sound of neighbors singing at a “Pabasa“. There’s really nothing more satisfying than being in the Philippines to enjoy our festivals once the pandemic is under control. The airline industry is one of the many businesses that suffered a big blow and many lost sources of livelihood. After some months of uncertainties, I am finally able to convince Mr. Raphael G. Romualdo, the Area Manager of Philippine Airlines, Western Japan to be featured here. It has been years since a new Filipino manager has been assigned in Kansai after Mr. Antonio Herrera, who retired as Asst. Vice-President of Philippine Sales. When Mr. Tomoyuki Nagao,
MARCH - APRIL 2021
the former Area Manager in Western Japan was promoted to Country Manager in Tokyo, Mr. Romualdo was assigned in Osaka. The soft-spoken and quiet Mr. Romualdo arrived in Kansai on a freezing winter night with his wife Donna and young son, Noah. Neatly tucked inside his luggage was a rosary and a crucifix and with that he was ready to meet the challenges of his first ever assignment abroad. The young manager’s father is from Cavite and mother is from Pampanga. His parents were very pious, a trait he has passed on to his son. His parents always told him that “Nasa Diyos ang Awa, nasa tao ang gawa“. After graduating from Colegio de San Juan de Letran, he worked in several domestic branches of Philippine Airlines before being assigned as Branch Manager in Laoag, Kalibo and Clark. He met a young staff in one of PAL’s ticketing offices, Donna, romance bloomed and they tied the knots. It was after 6 years that their son Noah was born. Raphael says that “Becoming a father made me realize that I am not only a provider to my family but also a partner in raising a God-fearing and responsible child.“
