Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational, a one-day golf tournament at the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Cavite, marked two important milestones—the 10th anniversary of Mabuhay Miles, Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) popular frequent-flyer program, natch, and the 20th year of the tournament itself, dahlings.
“Judging from the 308 registered entries, this annual golfing reunion of PAL’s business-class frequent flyers has already achieved the status of a tradition, an event not to be missed,” said PAL AVP for products Ria Carrion Domingo, palanggas.
It obviously didn’t matter that this event was being played for the first time on a Wednesday, in the middle of the week, not on the usual Friday. After all, dahlings, loads of megabuck business deals get sealed on the fairways, di bala?
From the ceremonial tee-off by mega executives—Felix J. Cruz and Domingo T. Duerme of PAL; Alfred Chua of Allied Bank; Poch Villareal of MasterCard, and J. Michael Carson of Boeing—to the lavish awards ceremonies, the tournament was a record-setting affair, dahlings.
In fact, one of the contestants explained this to me après the tournament. “I’m sure golf is definitely a rich man’s game,” moi told him. “Are you joking?” he answered. “You’ll be surprised at all the poor players who can’t even hit a ball right!”
Winners were led by Louis Bartolome Borja, chief executive of the Philippine branch of International Marketing Group, the low-gross champion for the second straight year and third time in four years.
Young logistics executive Ramon “Monchu” Nolasco, GM of Shulman Airfreight International, got the overall net title, his first win in the tournament.
This invitational was also about awards to Mabuhay Miles members who enjoy playing the game, dahlings.
Après a whole morning of whacking and putting on the greens, it was time to socialize, wine and dine during the awarding rites. Entertainers included Lovi Poe and bossa nova chanteuse Sitti, palanggas.
The 2012 Mabuhay Miles Elite Invitational had as major sponsors Airbus, Allied Banking Corp., Boeing, MasterCard International Philippines, Metrobank Card Corp., People Asia; Petron, and hole-in-one sponsor Toyota Motor Philippines, no less. Official hotels: Century Park Hotel and Diamond Hotel Philippines, plus loads of other minor sponsors.
These personalities who are die-hard golfers certainly worked hard to get that golf ball on the green hole for a winning hit!
Passion for performance
Bridgestone Tires, a brand synonymous with performance and the tire of choice of true supercar manufacturers and owners, introduced us to its newest brand ambassadors—multiawarded race car driver and first Filipino BMW M-certified driver trainer JP Tuason, and international designer Kenneth Cobonpue, no less—in a très exclusive dinner with the Performance and Classic Car Enthusiasts (PACE) club of Cebu, a group of car collectors and enthusiasts who boast some of the best supercars in the country, dahlings.
Cobonpue, a PACE member, always brings out world-class Filipino talent and material ingenuity into the sets of Hollywood blockbusters and the homes of royals, while creating pieces that boast of function and sustainability.
Would you believe he even designed a prototype bamboo car called The Phoenix, displayed at the biggest furniture and design shows?
Tuason is founder and president of Tuason Racing School, the first and longest-running racing school in the country, and whose racing career has spanned 24 years of karting and circuit car and formula racing both here and abroad.
No wonder Bridgestone supports his programs. His latest achievement was racing in Nürburgring, Germany, and Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, in the chi-chi Porsche Sports Cup, palanggas. He’s the “lone Filipino BMW M-certified out of just 160 individuals in the world.”
“Bridgestone is a brand passionate about how to improve people’s travels technologically,” said Marc Tagle, VP of Philippine Allied Enterprises Co., official distributor of Bridgestone in the Philippines.
Café Ysabel in Cebu
Marco Polo Plaza Cebu hosted the awesome 30th anniversary celebration of popular Café Ysabel.
Café Ysabel has been serving excellently prepared dishes for three decades now for Cebuanos, palanggas.
The invitees were welcomed to the lavish upscale Café Marco, where Café Ysabel’s talented and creative chefs, father and son Gene and Gino Gonzalez, prepared a to-die-for Chinese feast.
Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s visionary general manager Hans Hauri told us, “This festive event will bring nothing but the best experience for each of our guests.”
Round tables were filled with the city’s hottest namedroppables, including Liloan, Cebu City Mayor Duke Frasco and wife Christina, who headed the social pack.
Others included la simpatica Cecilia P. and her husband, PDI writer Jaime Picornell; Honey Loop, Dr. Nestor Alonso, Greg and Agnes Huettel, and others like them who enjoy excellent dining, dahlings.
Super-delighted about the success of the evening was the hotel’s resident manager, Julie Najar.
From appetizers to desserts and flowing red wine, especially made for the anniversary of Café Ysabel, it was truly one of the many occasions that totally keeps Marco Polo Plaza Cebu the destination of choice for discerning guests from the Queen City of the South.
More info? Call 8871263 in Manila and (032) 2531111 in Cebu.
