The torch is passed:

Hail & Farewell for The Peninsula General Managers Masahisa Oba and Mark Choon

And so it came to pass. It was time for Mark J. Choon to pass on the torch to his successor, Masahisa Oba, as The Peninsula Manila’s new general manager before he left for Tokyo to assume his post as general manager of the Peninsula in the Japanese capital.

It was an evening filled with reminiscing and gratitude as Mark thanked the people who had made his Manila sojourn so memorable – from the support he’d received from The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. (HSH) COO Peter C. Borer who flew in that morning from Hong Kong for the affair, his wonderful hotel team and all the friends he’d made in the past four years. Manila was his first general manager’s post and he shared that The Peninsula Manila had turned out to be the wonderful training ground for new general managers that he had been told it would be by his predecessors.

In his welcome speech, The Peninsula Manila’s new GM Masahisa Oba said that he was not a stranger to Manila and the Philippines, so moving to Manila and taking on the mantle of general manager of The Peninsula Manila was a bit of a homecoming for him. “This is not my first journey to the Philippines. I worked in Manila years ago and was enchanted by both the people and the culture.” He stressed that his job was to continue the legacy of all the general managers before him – to keep the hotel on the path that was set out for it from the day it opened its doors 43 years ago on Sept. 14, 1976. He closed his speech by recounting a piece of advice given to him by HSH COO Peter C. Borer when he learned of his posting to Manila: “‘Once you do Manila, you can do anything.’ I think he is a great testament to that since he is now the COO!!!”

Former GM Mark Choon, Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. COO Peter Borer and GM Masahisa Oba lead the wine-toasting ceremony.

Peter Borer, Masahisa Oba, Grace Glory Go, Salcedo Auctions managing director Victor Silvino and The Pen’s director of sales Jill de Villa

Paul Syjuco, Ivarluski Aseron, Candy Dizon, Jill de Villa, Masahisa Oba, Calzado-Wintle, Susan Joven, Roselen Ocampo and Mariano Garchitorena Iza

Tiffany & Co. GM Mario Katigbak, HSBC SVP and head of marketing Anya Katigbak-Cajucom, Grace Glory Go and Victor Silvino

The Pen’s director of PR Mariano Garchitorena, SSI marketing communications head Mitch Suarez, GM Masahisa Oba, Hermes deputy GM Stephanie Chong and The Pen’s PR officer Grace Lim

Marcel van Mierlo, Eileen Morais, Manja van Mierlo, Silvia Lichauco and Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda

Rupert and Tina Jacinto, Angola Consul Helen Ong and Mario Katigbak

Jennifer Choon, Jimmy and Carol Yu and Mark Choon

Peter Borer, Christina Tan Meng Wee Tan and

John Forbes and Cito Beltran

The Pen’s director of customer service Monzie Uy with Christine Yap