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Ask any frequent flier what their favorite things about flying are, and chances are, the in-flight safety video and demonstration won’t be on the list. Yes, it’s meant to teach the proper safety procedures to know and remember when flying, but it can also be routine to the point where some don’t even pay attention. It’s a scenario Philippine Airlines addressed with their newest safety video that creatively blends the can’t-look-away charm of teleseryes and soap operas, destination marketing, and all the safety procedures, instructions, and reminders every passenger should know.
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A Love Story For The Sky
Titled Care That Comes From The Heart, the safety video was released at the start of the year and was first debuted on their first A350-1000 before playing in all their aircraft. It is told through the lens of a TV drama and centers on Luisa (Kelley Day) returning to her family’s hacienda in the province. There, she falls in love with the simple farmer Anton (Khalid Abdullah). But their relationship is frowned upon by her parents, who instead want Luisa to be with the rich man Diego (Jay Gonzaga) in an arranged marriage.
An interesting detail we spotted in the production was its styling as part of the storytelling. While it’s not directly stated when exactly the video is set, the costumes, from the dresses, suits, barongs, and more, feel distinctly post-colonial Philippines. Notably, Luisa’s first outfit is an interpretation of Christian Dior’s legendary Bar Jacket design, which launched the brand after World War II. Anton, with his white shirt, straw hat, and khaki pants, embodies his humble farmer status, while Diego, in his three-piece suit, symbolizes his upper-class standing.
As the video progresses, it weaves the classic story of two lovers from different social classes forced apart with safety instructions narrated by a PAL flight attendant, such as placing carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment and setting devices to airplane mode. At one point, Luisa’s ride to the church is used as an example of how to put on a seatbelt correctly.
In the video’s highlight, we get a dramatic wedding scene where Anton barges into the church and utters the classic teleserye line “Itigil and kasal!” in his bid to stop Diego and Luisa’s marriage. The sudden change in pressure then causes the oxygen masks to drop down from the ceiling.
As Luisa and Anton flee the church, they dramatically drop their jewelry, accessories, and other personal effects on the altar, which is a stylish way to depict removing sharp objects on the plane and also symbolizes that they are ready to leave behind their old life. The video, which was produced by Arcade Film Factory, reaches its climactic crescendo when Anton and Diego face off outside the church while conveniently showing how to use the life vests in case of emergencies. The video ends with Luisa and Anton enjoying a day at the beach by their hut while dressed in more modern but still beach-appropriate attire.
Adding to the safety video’s charm is that it features locations throughout the Philippines as its setting, such as Negros Occidental for the hacienda, Daraga Church in Albay for Diego and Luisa’s wedding, and, Malcapuya Island in Coron, Palawan, for Luisa and Anton’s honeymoon.
It all makes for a six-minute video that creatively educates while highlighting Filipino culture and destinations through the pillars, tropes, and cliches of a teleserye. PAL isn’t the first airline to get inventive with their safety video. In 2015, Air New Zealand debuted The Most Epic Safety Video Ever Made, which took inspiration from the Hobbit films. That same year, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines released a stop-motion safety video made with over one thousand hand-painted Delft Blue tiles. In 2019, Korean Air partnered with K-pop group SuperM for an in-flight safety video featuring all the members and narrated by K-pop icon BoA.
Still, it’s nice to see a local airline incorporate the Philippines in a way that’s fun, engaging, and mixes comedic satire, Filipino pop culture, and safety. A mere in-flight safety video ends up becoming a witty and lighthearted celebration of Filipinos and the Philippines in general while also giving foreigners seeing this on PAL’s airplanes an introduction of who we are as people and a culture.
At the very least, it gets people’s attention to watch until the end to see what happens and may just inspire new episodes over the years.
