Renato “Rene” V. Puno, managing partner of Zulueta, Puno and Associates (ZPA), celebrated his birthday with his wife and my palangga, Ann Santa Cruz, and their children Renee, Yago and Luis.
Tons of guests from the diplomatic, political, business, legal, social and fashion sectors drove all the way to the celebrator’s sprawling, well-interiored home in Alabang to greet Puno, dahlings.
The mix of personalities included Honorary Consul for Angola Helen Ong, who came with daughter Marian; Qatar Airways country manager Abdallah Okasha; ZPA lawyers Tony Zulueta, Deo Marco, Cres Mayor and Miguel Herrera; and Eva Gullas of Cebu glossy mag Zee, natch!
Excellent Chilean and South African wines and bubbly Moets accompanied the exquisite to-die-for Mediterranean menu, which included Ann’s renowned Chicken Relleno prepared by chef Neil Ramos. Yummy.
Guests flocked to the carving station featuring luscious leg of lamb and stuffed turkey.
Meanwhile, Ann’s calorific homemade cakes delighted those with a sweet tooth, dahlings.
Toward the end, everyone raised his flute filled with the bubbly to wish our “king for a day” Rene Puno loads more of blessings for success and a healthy life!
Cheers, palangga!
Platinum whiskey
Diageo Philippines celebrated the grand arrival of the ultra-elite Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, the richest, most precious blended Scotch whisky John Walker & Sons has ever created.
Johnnie Walker “master blender” Jim Beveridge said the new 18-year-old Scotch whiskey is crafted for the “new whisky set.”
The launch was held at the Aracama Restaurant at The Fort Strip, allowing the VIP guests to experience the exclusivity and sophistication that the brand represents.
Led By Johnnie Walker Reserve brand ambassador Jeremy Lee, the happening got into a roll with a whisky-mentoring session in which guests got to taste different blends from the House of Johnnie Walker, natch!
The session was “a grand unmasking of contemporary blend, crafted from some of our most treasured whiskies, for those who know what they want from their whiskies,” explained Jeremy Lee, dahlings.
Fe Mir, marketing manager of Diageo Philippines, joined in and said the whiskey-tasting was “a timeless showcase of [liquor] heritage… [setting] the platinum standard.”
With the tasting going on, like, forever, no wonder some of the invitees forgot where they parked their toys for big moneyed boys, palanggas.
Philam Life marks 65th year
One of the country’s largest and most trusted life insurance companies, Philam Life, marked its 65th anniversary during a gala dinner at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La Hotel. It drew our town’s power players, dahlings.
The dinner also saw Philam Life receiving its 8th Trusted Brand Platinum Award by Reader’s Digest, “earning for itself the recognition to be the only financial institution in Asia to achieve such a feat,” said the international publication.
Philam Life also unveiled its new advertising campaign, dubbed “Real People, Real Stories,” plus its new logo, which capitalized on its membership in the AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group in the world.
“Our partnership with AIA will provide a huge boost to Philam Life’s mission,” said Rex Mendoza, president and CEO. “In an ever-changing business landscape, the need for financial security and prosperity becomes even more imperative. Philam Life, has maintained its status by delivering on its promises and going beyond, by providing services for the financial and security needs of Filipinos. With this in mind, Philam Life continues to extend its services to more Filipinos as it makes life insurance a relevant tool in shaping their own futures.”
Hotshots included Gordon Watson, EVP and regional managing director of AIA; Mark Tucker, AIA Group chief executive; Reynaldo Centeno, senior EVP and COO of Philam Life; Jessica Abaya, senior VP and head of marketing; and Max Ventura, executive director of Philam Life Foundation, Inc.
More info on Philam Life? Visit www.philamlife.com.
