The Joyous Season is on, and it was ushered in by the birthday bash of Carlos Yeung (young at 70) held at the Pig & Palm, Cebu’s latest watering hole, closed to the general public that evening.
It may just earn a Michelin star, quips Carlos’ pretty wife Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung, who organized the shindig. Helping out were their children, Carla and Chris McKowen, who put up the restaurant; Martin and Claudia Yeung, who are based in Hong Kong; and Jewelle Yeung.
That was quite a crowd that packed up the place, led by the Philippines’ Ambassador to Spain Philippe Lhuillier with his wife Edna Diago Lhuillier. They brought a whole leg of jamon pata negra, and a huge wheel of queso manchego.
Who was there? Gwen Garcia, Mike Rama, Duke and Christina Frasco, Vivina Yrastorza, UK honorary consul Tamsin Booth, Arcy Gayatin, Wolf and Kristalle Kekert with their precious kids Harvey and Fiona.
More: fashion plates Rosebud Sala, Carmen Campbell and Teresin Mendezona; Mariquita’s brothers Rep. Ben Hur Salimbangon, Cesar Salimbangon, Danny Salimbangon and Edwin Salimbangon.
Mariquita’s Elegant Ladies Circle had a cake for Carlos, ceremoniously presented by Flor Ynclino, Meren Gepilano, Joje Decal, Anita San Jose, Chloe Credo, Marilou Ong, Jamafe Zamora, Fely Salimbangon and Edna Salimbangon.
Heartthrob in concert
A week later, at the ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, was the concert of reigning heartthrob Matteo Guidicelli, dubbed “Matteo Made in Cebu.”
Matteo is proud that he was born and bred in Cebu, and likely to live here for the rest of his life.
His foremost admirers are his happy parents, Gian Lucca Guidicelli and Glenna Fernan Guidicelli, who have been most supportive of him, as a racer, an actor, and now a singing star of the first magnitude. Matteo’s Italian genes serve him well. Anything he does, he does splendidly.
Matteo had a great guest artist in Martin Nievera. They made electric sparks fly about, with some help from a bottle of Italian red wine.
“Nobody has gone home,” they commented more than halfway into the concert. The tickets had said 7:30 p.m, but the show started close to 9 p.m. The fans were patient and cheered all through the show.
The fun for Matteo’s family and close friends continued at the Guidicelli family’s Trattoria di Gianni at Crossroads. Here was delicious Italian food coupled with crispy Cebu lechon and “puso,” rice cooked in a coconut leaf basket.
A landmark reopens
Casa Gorordo was built in the 1860s with coral stone, fine wood and red tiles on its roof. It became the home of Bishop Juan Gorordo, the first Filipino to be appointed Bishop of the then Diocese (it is now an archdiocese) of Cebu in the early part of the 20th century.
In it lived the bishop’s niece, señorita Telesfora “Tiling” Jaen, and later, the latter’s niece señorita Pepit Revilles. In 1980 the house was bought by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and opened as a museum of the Cebuano 19th century lifestyle in December 1983.
On Nov. 28, Casa Gorordo was reopened after intense restoration and renovation. It has taken three years, informed Marian Cabarrus Aboitiz in her message of welcome during the program attended by Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, chair of the city’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission.
Present were Francisca “Paqui” Melendez de Aboitiz, RAFI president Roberto Aboitiz, vice president Jon Ramon Aboitiz with his wife Chary and their son Juan Aboitiz, and Quina Melendez.
More: Councilor Joel Garganera, Rafi executive director Dominica Chua, Joy Gerra who heads RAFI’s cultural arm, brother Louie Nacorda, and, of course, Pepit Revilles.
The reopened Casa Gorordo reflects a bygone era, and what’s more, all its furnishings were sourced in the Visayas.
Tree-lighting at Shang
It’s the season for Christmas tree lightings in the top Cebu hotels.
The latest one was at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, held the evening of Dec. 1 at the lobby.
General manager Rene Egle welcomed the elegant crowd. He then escorted Lapu Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza to officiate the switching on.
The tree is not so tall, but sparkles with multicolored lights. What’s more, it was observed by newgals Flor Ynclino, Chinggay Utzurrum, Cookie Newman and Aisaa de la Cruz, it features a Nativity scene.
Glimpsed about: Lapu Lapu City Tourism director Hembler Mendoza, Dr. Nestor Alonso, the resort’s director for sales and marketing Albert Lafuente, and marketing communications director Casandra Cuevas, who informed the press they have two new chefs, one Italian, the other Spanish.
It was nice to see Silkair’s manager for the Philippines Jake Jeow, with Christian Chua, sales and administration assistant. Silkair has been flying direct daily flights between Cebu and Singapore for 25 years come May. Previous to that, it was Singapore Airlines. Now, Philippine Airlines has inaugurated direct flights from Cebu to Singapore and back. That’s quite another story about their grand launch.