A Voyager stops by Manila

Fair winds carried John Walker & Sons Voyager to the shores of Manila recently. The luxury yacht gathered guests to experience the pinnacle of luxury craftsmanship, heritage and modern innovation and launch the new rare triple malt, John Walker & Sons Odyssey.

The Voyager is a literal reproduction of an epic journey, which evokes the nautical and game-changing heritage of John Walker & Sons. It sailed from Shanghai last October and the journey through Asia Pacific will take the Voyager through nine key ports of call with Manila as its fourth stop.

Diageo chief marketing officer for Asia Pacific James Thompson said, “Celebrating journeys without boundaries — John Walker & Sons Voyager pays tribute to the Walker family, whose unwavering vision took the brand beyond a small town in Scotland and across the seas to exotic new lands, and the indelible impact they left on history.”

Managing director of Diageo Philippines Arif Esenc added, “The Philippines was a key port in the original trading routes of the Walker family and was instrumental in helping John Walker & Sons achieve the global reach it enjoys today. We look forward to celebrating the vision of the Walker family and the game changers of Asia Pacific who have inspired, and continue to inspire, a generation.”

The luxury yacht served as the fitting stage for the launch of John Walker & Sons Odyssey in the Philippines, a new blend that commemorates the 80th anniversary of one of Sir Alexander Walker’s greatest innovations — a whisky decanter that could move to match the motion of the sea.

John Walker & Sons global brand ambassador Tom Jones explained, “The Odyssey stands proudly amongst the rarest of blends — a unique triple malt inspired by the golden era of sea travel.”

Developed by master blender Jim Beveridge using Sir Alexander’s original handwritten notes, Odyssey has been carefully blended in European oak casks to create a drink that brings to life the House of Walker’s signature big, bold flavors and delivers exceptional smoothness. An exquisitely crafted, crystal-grade glass decanter has been created to house Odyssey.

Marketing director of Diageo Philippines Fe Mir shared, “The Voyager and our new blend John Walker & Sons Odyssey both celebrate and represent life’s great journeys and the exceptional individuals who undertake them.  As we pay tribute to the vision and entrepreneurial spirit of the Walker family and the remarkable blends that they inspired, we also bring together and celebrate modern-day game changers in Asia Pacific who share the same passion for progress and innovation and who continue to change the world around them.”

The brand celebrated and paid tribute to four outstanding Filipino game changers — businessman and social entrepreneur Joey Concepcion, fashion designer Rhett Eala, world-renowned furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue and award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza.

Mir added, “It is our honor to have gathered these four remarkable individuals who continue to inspire and revolutionize their respective fields. We laud these bold men who are forging a new destiny for the Philippines and for our world. They are exactly the modern epitome of The House of Walker’s founding spirit.”

From China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the Voyager will sail to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and India.

Teach a man to fish

There’s a more environment-friendly way to fish.

Century Tuna celebrity endorser Derek Ramsay and the executives behind the canned tuna brand joined forces with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) to support and launch a program that promotes handline tuna fishing.

Fishermen use a single hook to catch one fish at a time in handline fishing, a traditional and more environmentally sound method of fishing. This method of fishing was the focus of discussion during the media launch held recently at the Milky Way Café hosted by Karen Pamintuan.

WWF-Philippines Conservation Programs head Joel Palma explained, “We all know that the sustainability of fisheries, particularly of tuna, is important to the Philippine fishing sector because of the nutritional and economic benefits gained from it. This is why WWF-Philippines focuses its efforts on promoting sustainable fishing practices such as tuna handline fishing.”

Century Tuna also introduced its new product called Century Tuna Handline, which uses individually caught yellowfin tuna chunks in olive oil. Aside from sustaining one’s health through its Omega3 and DHA components, this new product also lets customers help local handline fishers. For every purchase of this new product, P1 goes to the WWF-Philippines’ handline tuna fishery in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.

Century Canning Corp. vice president Greg Banzon said, “It’s an honor for the brand to be part of this noteworthy project. We hope that more projects like this will be launched in the future and that Century Tuna will be given the same opportunity to support them.”

This type of sustainable fishing can somehow help in the problem of overfishing tuna.