Montblanc held a glamorous champagne reception at the Rustan’s department store in Ayala Center Cebu. Focus was on Montblanc’s timepieces, writing implements and finely tooled leather goods.
Rustan’s president Donnie Tantoco came for the event. “I’m at home in Cebu,” he said in his welcome speech, adding it was always a pleasure to be in there.
Montblanc continues to make traditional fountain pens, said Anouar Guerraoui, managing director for Southeast Asia. He said that those ink cartridges can last for months, or how much the pen is used.
Dina Tantoco, Rustan’s head of marketing communications, breezed in at the height of the party, welcomed by Jaja Rama and Kloodie Chiongbian of BigSeed, which was in charge of the event.
Seen: Rustan’s Cebu store manager Pepet Macachor, Bernadette Gallego and her daughter Mirella, Belinda Wong, who bought a pair of cuff links for her husband, and fashion plates Rosebud Sala, Mariquita Yeung and Teresin Mendezona.
More: Joel and Carla del Prado, Manolet and Lelit Heredia, Michael and Rose Hennessy, Frances Siao, UK honorary consul Tamsin Booth, Butch Carungay, and lots more.
Carating exhibit
Eminent Filipino painter Norberto Carating opened a one-man show of his abstract works at the lobby lounge of Radisson Blu Hotel. General manager Laurent Boisdron gave the welcome remarks, happy to say the hotel is proud to expose so beautiful a collection.
It will be on view until April 17, under the aegis of Hiraya Gallery of Manila and Qube Gallery of Cebu. Its events director Kingsley Medalla was present, saying that there will be more exhibits in the coming months, at the Qube premises in Crossroads mall.
Carating is no stranger to Cebu. We recall how years back he used to come with Jose Joya, dean of fine arts at the University of the Philippines. Professor Joya was instrumental in setting up the Fine Arts department at the UP College in Cebu.
He used to come every year, with Carating on some occasions, to give the Joya award which he instituted for the UP fine arts students in Cebu. It continues to this day.
Carating’s dear friend, Cebuano artist Gil Maningo, made it a point to attend his opening and reminisce about those happy days. There’ll be more of the same, as Gil is planning a one-man show in January 2018, timing it with the Santo Niño festivities.
That’s the largest tourist draw for Cebu, said Catalino Chan III, the new director of the Department of Tourism in Region 7. He sat with his predecessor Dawn Roa, Marissa Fernan and Ann Olalo, Radisson’s sales and marketing director.
500th anniversary
Looking further, preparations are underway for 2021 when Cebu celebrates the 500th year since the Santo Niño came. The Archdiocese of Cebu has already started drawing committees.
To recall, in March 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese sailing under the Spanish flag, came to Cebu. He gave the image of the Santo Niño to Cebu’s Queen Juana on her baptismal.
Magellan was killed by Lapu-Lapu in the island of Mactan, fronting Cebu island. His expedition returned to Spain but the Santo Niño remained here. In 1565 Spanish Miguel Lopez de Legaspi came to Cebu and found the Santo Niño. On that spot today stands the Basilica del Santo Niño.
Oro China
Oro China opened its first store in Cebu in 1967 on Plaridel Street near the Carbon market. Since then it has become one of the country’s premier jewelry stores with over 20 outlets all over the Philippines.
To mark its 50th year, Oro China held a gala dinner with fashion show on March 11 at the Santa Maria ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel. The rationale of the observance was given by Lucita Viloria Ty and her children Henry John and Jennifer Viloria Ty.
On the ramp were the stunning creations of (in order of appearance) Randy Ortiz, Rajo Laurel, Arcy Gayatin, Philip Rodriguez, Francis Libiran, Jun Escario and Cary Santiago.
More stunning than the clothes were the magnificent pieces of jewelry worn by the pretty models: necklaces, bracelets, pendants, rings and earrings in diamonds, emeralds, rubies and blue sapphires.
Present were Cebu City Councilor Margot Osmeña, Gloria Diaz, Chesca Garcia Kramer, Isabelle Diaz Daza, Miss Cebu 2016 Raine Baljak and her mother Merce Abellana among the models, Miriam Quiambao who hosted the show, and A-List’s Kaye Sala and Cybill Guynn.
