“Let your light shine before others.” —Matthew 5:16B asking in the brilliant sun that glows over Amorita Resort Bohol, I am enjoying my single blessedness this weekend with a small group of media friends for the opening launch of the only chophouse in Panglao Island called The Lost Cow. Our short flight on board Cebu Pacific left on time and we made it for lunch at the resort’s all-day dining Saffron Restaurant where executive chef Greg Villalon prepared a sumptuous Pinoy fiesta spread.

Welcoming us into their sprawling resort was Amorita Resort Bohol general manager Leeds Trompeta, who walked us around the grounds with its 98 suites and 16 pool villas. I was here a long time ago when owner Ria Hernandez Cauton invited me when they just opened the resort on a cliff overlooking the famous Alona Beach. The pristine white-sand beach was named after Alona Alegre, the ’70s leading lady of action star FPJ.

As sunshine clears all the emotional dark clouds that have been looming over me lately, I welcome this weekend finding sunshine in everything I do and waiting for the magic to happen. Indeed, the sun shines brighter here in Bohol!

Pink ball

This is The Pink Month! The Pink Ball on Oct. 13 is a dinner gala to raise funds for breast cancer awareness. To kick off the Breast Cancer Campaign, the Estée Lauder Companies, in partnership with SM Cares, hosted a press preview and invited advocates and medical experts to share their knowledge and experiences.

Sharyn Wong, country manager of the Estée Lauder Companies Philippines, welcomed guests and talked about the local initiatives for the month. Steven Tan, president of SM Supermalls, shared the multiple accomplishments of SM Cares towards the cause. For the entire month of October, the SM Mall of Asia Globe, SM Seaside City Cebu, the Time Sculpture at SM Megamall and several LED screens at SM Supermalls will feature the campaign messaging to advance the awareness for the cause.

In addition to the launch, the Estée Lauder Companies hosted wellness talks for the breast cancer survivors in partnership with the ICanServe and Kasuso Foundations. The talks were held at the Mega Atrium in SM Megamall, where attendees also received complimentary makeup services and pampering sessions from ELC employee volunteers.

Locally, the Estée Lauder Companies, in line with the global mission, has committed to improving the lives of women affected by breast cancer. The company continues to unite with local business partners to raise awareness for the cause, grow the donations to charitable organizations and work towards providing free screening and treatments for underprivileged women year after year.

Milestone anniversary

The brand also kicked off the celebration of 40 years of the iconic Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair at The Atrium, SM Aura Premier. The event had top celebrities, beauty influencers, make-up artists, industry partners and publishers who enjoyed delicious hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Make-up counters were available for guests to try and experience Advanced Night Repair plus other Estée Lauder favorites from the Double Wear franchise. Advanced Night Repair has groundbreaking technology and is patented until 2033. There’s no other serum like it in the world. To make the celebration extra special, there was also a Meet & Greet portion for fans of Jodi Sta. Maria, the official Estée Lauder skin-care partner.In 1982, “skin care” was synonymous with cremes and cleansers, until Mrs. Estée Lauder broke the rules and introduced the first night serum to the industry. Today is that iconic serum’s 40th birthday, so we’re celebrating four decades of innovation with Advanced Night Repair that helps skin look smoother, firmer, more even toned and so much more.

Up for auction

After weeks of brainstorming and event planning, we are all set to host the Pink Ball and hopefully raise funds for free treatments for breast cancer patients. In order to raise more cash donations, we have both silent and live auctions for several items. For the live auction, we will be offering: La Mer Limited Edition Crème de La Mer 500 ml; Vespa S125 in white from Motoitalia, Inc.; Omega Aqua Terra Watch, stainless steel with mother-of-pearl dial and 12 diamonds on the index from Lucerne Group of Companies; “Monster in Pink” sculpture by Distort Monsters from Globe Platinum X Distort Monsters; Jewelmer 10-12-millimeter champagne semi-baroque pearl strand composed of 67 semi-baroque South Sea pearls; Paris Bundle with round-trip business class tickets on Turkish Airlines and one-night stay at Shangri-La Hotel Paris for two; and a painting by Jana Benitez, “Every Child A Shaman, 2021,” 60 inches by 72 inches, oil and acrylic on canvas donated by the artist.

For the Silent Auction, we will have more paintings; Estée Lauder products; Dyson items including a vacuum cleaner, air purifier fan, hair dryer and Nutribullet; and Jul B. Dizon Jewelry. Together with the Estée Lauder team headed by Sharyn Wong and my Red Charity Gala partner Kaye Tiñga, we are so grateful for all the support in making our upcoming Ball a success. Big thanks also to Moss Manila Design team headed by Cyndi Fernandez-Beltran and the Yapparazi team of Tim Yap and Javi Martinez.

80th store

Big congratulations also to Wilcon Depot, the Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction retailer for reaching another milestone as it opened its 80th store in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Attending the ribbon cutting were Wilcon Depot assistant vice president for sales and operations Rowell Suarez, Wilcon Depot president and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor and Mrs. Hiyas Govinda Dolor, Calapan City Mayor Marilou F. Morillo and Wilcon Depot senior vice president for product development Eden Godino.As people always say, “Life is too short” or “Live life to the fullest” … it may be easier said than done, but with the sun shining brightly on me and my life right now, basking in the glorious sunlight is God’s continuous way of reminding me to go on living my life the way I want it to be and not the way others intended it to be. INQ

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