Tonight is the culmination of months of hard work by a whole lot of people working to raise funds for charity. The Red Charity Gala presents the dazzling works of featured designer Michael Cinco, a Dubai-based fashion maven whose works have brought him international renown.

Kaye Tinga and I had the chance to visit the main headquarters of the Philippine National Red Cross, one of our main beneficiaries, last week. As stressed out as we both are over the minute details of making sure the major event goes through without a hitch, it was beautiful to meet the heads of the Red Cross.

Dick Gordon, accompanied by his fundraising ambassador Carissa Coscolluela, gave us a tour of the Red Cross center. Everywhere, people were busy packing rice and other relief goods for distribution to the various flooded areas around the country.

Kaye and I are hoping that tonight’s event is a true combination of fun, fashion and fundraising. Among our beneficiaries are also the Assumption Mission School in San Simon, Pampanga, and its neighboring barangays, all still underwater.

The behind-the-scenes supporters include our husbands, Rep. Freddie Tinga and my own hubby, Dennis. His company, PhilWeb Corp., always donates to our causes and, more important than that, he knows how to de-stress me when the planning woes creep up.

Quick de-stresser

A couple of weeks ago, that de-stresser was a quick getaway to romantic Boracay, where we stayed at the island’s newest landmark, Astoria Boracay.

The resort is perfectly located at the heart of Station 1, only a 10-minute walk to the island’s nerve center, D’Mall. Thanks to its fabulous architecture, which fuses modern, tropical and contemporary styles, Astoria Boracay exudes sexiness. Many tourists interrupt their beach walks to have their photos taken at the entrance to the chic structure.

My fave hangout at the resort is White Café, where a floating mobile of 244 stylized angelfish forms an astonishing school unlike any found in the ocean. Very Alexander Calder. The friendly and caring staff is very attentive to the guests, making sure plates and glasses are never empty.

Vivian Ng, who runs the resort, and her sister Emily Wong flew in especially to meet Dennis and me. Vay put us in the honeymoon suite on the third floor, overlooking the 20-meter lap pool. It’s easy to get de-stressed when you’re looking at a circular Jacuzzi in the master bathroom, with rose petals sprinkled around it.

The resort pool features a teakwood deck that just enhances the entire tropical ambience. Guests can tan on half-submerged sun loungers or read in the shade of crescent-shaped sofas, which seem to float mid-air.

There are 39 well-appointed, color-themed suites designed by maverick sisters Cynthia and Ivy Almario. Everything about Astoria Boracay spells luxury and pampering. It was the perfect weekend break for both Dennis and I.

Ultra-slim Tab

It’s too bad that we can’t fly off to de-stress in Boracay every weekend. My quick stress relievers are Plants vs Zombies or Scrabble on Facebook, which I play on my Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9.

I’m not a techie type, but even my 6-year-old daughter Athena can navigate her way through the basic apps in this gadget, so it’s really a breeze. The ultra-slim Tab is the latest in the market and is the first Honeycomb tablet to stray from the pure Android 3.0 experience. It has a micro-SD slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a SIM slot, with a WiFi version soon to come.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab also has a 3-megapixel camera with LED flash on the back, plus 2-megapixel lens on the front. Giving a 6-year-old a dual cam enables her to flood her photos all over Facebook and Twitter. It’s a good thing the Tab has 16GB for storage.

Such an excellent device should really be part of the Red Charity Gala, and so a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 will be auctioned off tonight. Samsung has been our sponsor for two years now, continuously supporting our efforts on behalf of the Red Cross and the Assumption HS ’81 Foundation.

One-day photo exhibit

Also at the Red Charity Gala tonight is a one-day photo exhibit, “Women in Love,” sponsored by Canon and Pond’s, and on display at the foyer of the Makati Shangri-La Ballroom. Among the featured couples are dazzling Donnie and Crickette Tantoco, who we also bumped into in Boracay.

Another person I am sure to see at tonight’s Red Charity Gala is Joel Cruz, the Lord of Scents himself. Joel buys a table every year and always bids hard and fast at the auction.

As president and CEO of Aficionado and Joel Cruz Signatures, he has grown his business into a powerful international brand. The company just celebrated its 11th anniversary, with a groundbreaking ceremony at its new one-hectare plant in Pandayan, Bulacan.

I’m also hoping to see Ignacio and Jaime Ortigas and their families, who are also supporters of the Red Charity Gala. The Ortigases, of course, are one of the country’s foremost real estate developers. Their holding company, OCLP Holdings, better known as Ortigas & Co., just celebrated its 80th anniversary.

The elaborate celebration was held at their newest development, Decagon, Frontera Verde, in San Juan. Of course, the guest list included Mayor Guia Gomez and Rep. JV Ejercito, as well as the cognoscenti of the Greenhills area, Peter Ng of Unimart, Precy Florentino of Music Museum, and many more, all welcomed to the celebration by Ortigas’ new president, Rowell Recinto.

Good fortune

It’s always great to see how many businesses never forget to share their profits with deserving charities. The Ortigases may have pioneered property development in the country, but along with developing Greenhills, Tiendesitas and Circulo Verde and just about every posh address in the Pasig-San Juan area, the famed family has never shied away from sharing their good fortune with the less fortunate.

And really, let’s never forget that that’s what tonight is all about.

Follow Tessa on Twitter @tessavaldes or e-mail her at [email protected]