BIZ BUZZ: Tesla is coming to town

Tesla Motors, the Elon Musk-led company that produces “bad..s, zero-emission vehicles that can charge with clean energy,” is making a big splash in the Philippines with the opening on Friday of the first Tesla Showroom Flagship Experience Center in the country.

The Philippines is the fourth country in the region to have such facility after Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

It will be housed at Uptown Parade, one of the many developments within the Uptown Bonifacio township developed by Andrew Tan-led property leader Megaworld Corp.

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No less than Alliance Global Group Inc. President and CEO Kevin Tan and Megaworld President Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso will lead the opening of the facility that includes an after-sales service center aside from the showroom.

They will be joined by Tesla executives from the region who are flying in for the happy occasion.

Uptown is already home to many firsts—the first Tim Hortons, Randy’s Donuts, Tempur Cinema and soon, Morton’s Steakhouse.

The first Tesla charging center will also be in Uptown Mall attached to Uptown Parade, just beside the Palace and the newly constructed International Finance Center, which will be the future expansion home of JP Morgan, another American company.

Tesla says the opening is a “celebration to remember” and showcases its commitment “to revolutionizing” the local landscape.

Want to check out the Tesla models? Don’t fret as you might get a chance to test drive one of the units starting December. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao

More flights to Japan

Heads up, travelers! More flights to Japan—one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations—will be available by the start of 2025.

Biz Buzz heard that Cebu Pacific will launch its Manila-Sapporo flights by Jan. 16, 2025. This will be offered thrice weekly—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

READ: PAL to debut Cebu-Osaka flights in December

The Hokkaido city is Japan’s winter destination for skiing and snowboarding. It is also popular for its beer museum where guests can learn about the history of the popular beverage in Japan.

The new route will complement its other Japan routes: Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka.

The budget carrier has been seeing strong interest in its routes to Japan, nearly doubling its passenger volume to the tourist destination to 110,000 in the first quarter. The latest figure is also 20-percent better than the prepandemic volume.

Along with this, the Philippines’ Department of Tourism and Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism inked a landmark agreement to further boost tourism between the countries in November last year. —Tyrone Jasper C. Piad