To all the humble fathers out there who are oftentimes underappreciated, Happy Father’s Day! As my hubby Dennis and I celebrate parenthood for almost two decades, we realize that we are blessed with wonderful kids who have been quite well-behaved all these years.

 

Unlike other fathers, Dennis has to play the role of many characters, depending on the theme of our various celebrations. For our 20th anniversary, we decided to renew our vows and celebrate with a “Game of Thrones”-themed party.

 

Two decades ago, we did not have access to many of the digital effects available for weddings. I have made sure we do not miss out again. The photography teams of Klay Tan, Marty Ilagan and Charisse Tinio will all be taking different angles so as not to miss out on the details.

Our beautiful formal invitations have been meticulously done with the love and patience of Norman and Mye Cruz of Adworks Graphics Company.

 

Norman worked on the design for days and is happy to finally finish it on Father’s Day, just in time to celebrate with his three daughters.

 

Baptism

 

New celebrity father Richard Gutierrez is the happiest dad, as Zion, his first-born son with Sarah Lahbati, is being christened today with 20 sets of ninong and ninang. The whole Gutierrez family has lots to celebrate with the premiere of its successful family reality show, “It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez,” shown on E! every Sunday. At the red-carpet preview of E!’s first Asian reality show, friends of the celebrity family showed support at the Events Center of Century City Mall.

 

The stellar audience included TV personalities, beauty queens, ramp models, celebrity doctors and fashion designers. Sexy doctor Vicki Belo and actor and fitness guru Edward Mendez were delighted to see Ruffa Gutierrez looking so radiant and gorgeous. Ruffa is all smiles these days thanks to her new beau Jordan Mouyal who will be her escort at her birthday party next week. She will be celebrating her milestone with us in her “Game of Thrones”-inspired gown.

 

Christine Fellows, managing director of Universal Networks International Asia Pacific, flew in from Singapore to provide glitz for the “Gutz” launch. Liza Latinazo, country manager of NBC Universal, welcomed guests to the red-carpet preview as well.

 

“It Takes Gutz to be a Gutierrez” is E!’s first foray into original Asian reality programming. The show reflects their commitment to spotlight local Asian personalities and celebrities. Set mainly on a cruise ship, the show gives an unfiltered look into the lives of one of the most talked-about showbiz families, the Gutierrezes.

 

Salem treat

 

For Father’s Day, I will give my father, Alex Prieto, one of the new Elite Collection of Salem beds. The latest collection was recently unveiled at the atrium of SM Aura Premier.

 

In partnership with SM Homeworld, Salem Bed presented redesigned, high-end, luxury mattresses that spell exquisite comfort and classic elegance.

 

Each of the four premier beds, Emery, Genesee, Emperesse and Royalty, had a lavish vignette displaying the comfortable beds.

 

Salem Bed, a proudly Filipino brand, has been around for more than 40 years with six plants and hundreds of stores and distributors nationwide. From the humble vision of its owner, Tiu Kim Chuan, the company now is the foremost producer of high-quality mattresses known for its innovative technology.

 

Benjamin Tiu, president of Salem Bed, was joined by Asuncion Yap, SM Homeworld senior VP, and Lester Tiu, Salem VP for sales and marketing, at the launch. Also present was Tania Onishchenko, a classic Russian international model, Salem Elite’s brand ambassador. She exudes the grace and sophistication that typify the brand.

 

For Father’s Day, Dennis is working on the housing project of our brother-in-law Philip Romualdez in his hometown, Tacloban. We plan to raise funds to donate 20 homes for our 20th anniversary.

 

Geraldine Santiago show

 

We are also supporting another fundraiser, “Hope,” created by running buddy Geraldine Santiago. Opening the day after our anniversary, June 25, the contemporary art exhibit at the Rockwell Club will have Eva McGovern as its curator. Geraldine is an up-and-coming artist, and it is fantastic that she is supporting the victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” Her exhibit is hosted by The Rockwell Club and Galeria Paloma.

 

Fourteen new paintings of origami cranes and children at play have been produced to encourage hope for those affected by the storm and remind us of their continuing struggles. Geraldine will be also supporting two other charities, Right Start (www.right start.ph) and Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines (www.obphil.com). Her first solo exhibit runs from June 25 until July 9.

 

After graduating from UST with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising Arts, Geraldine became an entrepreneur in the field of licensing. Her creativity has fueled the company MBC Clothing, where she has been the VP and chief creative director for 22 years. This same creativity has produced 16 vibrant paintings depicting hope for the victims of Yolanda, and has driven her desire to exhibit further in the contemporary art world.

 

Congratulations

 

This Father’s Day is extra special for Dennis since our second son, Tyrone, just graduated from Beacon Academy and will be heading to college abroad. It’s a time to remember many milestones.

On that note, hearty congratulations are in order to Chito and Ana Sobrepeña, who celebrated their 30th beautiful wedding and reception. Kudos especially to Ana, who wore her original wedding gown, thus earning the admiration of all the women in attendance.

 

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