All the red I’m seeing around, along with the Christmas décor, is giving me serious Red Charity Gala throwback fever.
Good thing there are post-Gala events around the country that can take care of my separation anxiety, or as the young ones would say: Sepanx!
Speaking of young ones, I had a wonderful opportunity to work with five young talented stylists from the StyleList Inc. when I was in Cebu at the Mövenpick. We had a photo shoot for Metro Society featuring the beautiful pieces from the Red Charity Gala collection of Chito Vijandre.
The StyleList Inc. is not only the top styling company in the Philippines, but also a fashion and style-oriented reality show with Rex Atienza, Jay Sarmiento and Ian Galliguez as the stars. I was the special guest and muse for the photo shoot with portrait photographer Paolo Pineda.
Catch the episode tomorrow, 8:30 p.m., on E! Philippines (Sky Cable and Destiny digital Ch.57, Cignal Ch. 25, Cablelink Ch.33)
I was so pampered at Mövenpick, and I loved every single minute I was there.
However, I must say that the resort’s centerpiece is the Ibiza Beach Club, which encapsulates the ultimate beach club experience of Lifestyle Dining + Unrivalled Entertainment.
Ibiza Beach Club embodies the sophistication and lifestyle of the renowned party capital of the world.
Combining ambience, music, entertainment and dining, this beach-inspired social establishment is designed to impress and delight, with an unforgettable experience that’s uniquely its own. Ibiza Beach Club is a brand unique to the Philippines, established by Manny Osmeña, chair of the Manny O. Group.
From its place of origin, Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu, this unparalleled beach club facility will eventually branch out to other cities, starting with its soon-to-open property in the heart of Bonifacio Global City in December.
Fast Beauty launch
Back in Manila, I had a wonderful Fast Beauty date with the very generous and supportive ladies of the Red Charity Gala. The cozy and intimate affair also introduced the ladies to Marula by John Paul Selects and Helix-D, both of which are marketed locally by Fast Beauty.
Fast Beauty’s aim is to offer the best line of luxury products and prestige brands not yet available in the country.
Brand director Trisha Verzosa was on hand to welcome and acquaint the guests on the many benefits of Marula. Derived from 99.2-percent pure Marula oil from South Africa, it’s considered nature’s best-kept secret.
Helix-D, meanwhile, is a breakthrough in skincare technology, composed of water-magnet hydrators and antioxidants.
The ladies present, among them construction magnate Alice Eduardo, mom and entrepreneur Salome Uy, and lifestyle digital influencer Nicole Ortega inquired about Fast Beauty as they tried samples. Others purchased and took home products to experience the wonders and benefits of Fast Beauty. Indeed, it was a most memorable afternoon where beauty and charity wonderfully came together.
Fast Beauty products are available at the beauty section of the SM Stores in SM Aura, SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa and SM Mall of Asia. Fast Beauty vouchers from the Red Charity Gala may also be redeemed at any of the SM Store branches listed.
Visit www.fastbeautyph.com; like Fast Beauty on Facebook; follow @fastbeautyph on Instagram.
Whisky Live
Still in the spirit of celebrating, I went to celebrate with some spirits.
Whisky Live, the world’s premier whisky tasting show, was held in Manila at the newly opened Shangri-La at the Fort Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. It was a well-attended event, graced by whisky enthusiasts and newcomers to the world of the dram, with no less than the world’s leading brands as exhibitors.
One of the most popular and visited booths during the event was the Hebridean masterpiece, Bruichladdich, the world-famous Islay Scotch Whisky that is trickle distilled and un-chill filtered to offer clean, exceptionally fresh and lively flavors, with both oak and barley in perfect harmony.
Bruichladdich comes in three outstanding expressions: The Classic Laddie, Port Charlotte and Octomore Edition: 07.1. All three are made from 100-percent Scottish Barley exclusively grown, harvested, distilled and bottled in Scotland’s western coast island of Islay, home to Bruichladdich Distilleries.
Also making its presence felt and wowing the crowd was the iconic Islay dry gin, The Botanist. An exceptional gin of layered complexity, it represents a progressive exploration of the botanical heritage of Islay, since it is infused with 22 hand-foraged rare botanicals that delicately augment nine berries, barks, seeds and peels during an achingly slow distillation.
Thus, this first and only Islay dry gin is a rare expression of the heart and soul of its remote Scottish island home.
Part of the many wonderful activities at Whisky Live was a cocktail competition, with ABV’s Lester Egurrola Ligon’s concoction emerging as the winner. Lester described his cocktail as “somewhat nutty and Christmasy,” a refreshing drink made with Bruichladdich Port Charlotte.
“I wanted it to be bursting with flavors similar to each other, so that the drink would come together in one stretch, but you can basically taste significant flavor profiles that complement each other.”
Citi Philippines’ 30th year
Another celebration I attended was the 30th year of Citi Philippines, serving corporate clients in the country. Direct custody and clearing services Asia head Jeffrey Williams flew in to mark this milestone with clients, and hosted an intimate reception at The Peninsula Manila.
Joining him were Asean head Amol Gupte, Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed, markets and securities services head Paul Favila, and securities services director Theresa Reyes.
On the eve of Williams’ visit, Citi announced it would begin offering account operator services to broker-dealers in the Philippines, a first in the country.
By using this service, clients can establish and maintain market visibility in the country, while minimizing their operational footprint by leveraging Citi’s post-trade processing infrastructure, local expertise and market connectivity.
Through this service, Citi is meeting the demand for low cost and proven infrastructure, while lowering the entry barrier for broker-dealers entering into the Philippines market.
This launch was in line with efforts by various regulators to develop the local capital market. It allows for faster “time to operate” for broker-dealers who want to set up their presence in the Philippine equities market, by allowing the outsourcing of broker-dealer functions to a third-party service provider.
