Congress, White House remain divided on Iraq bill

As soon as it opened for business earlier in the year, I had been hearing a lot about Discovery Shores. Nestled beside Friday’s on the quieter end of Boracay’s renowned beachfront, people had likened it to “true luxury” washing up on Bora’s shores. Taking its architectural cue from the Miami beach-line, Discovery Shores has a palatial air surrounding it, looking like no expense or effort has been spared in raising the bar on what accommodations and service can be like on the island. Thanks to Lifestyle Network, Metro Society and Metro Active’s Summer Soul weekend, I finally got my taste of Bora in “velvet-lined rubber slippers and satin sheets” — Ok, I exaggerate, but you know what I mean, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Summer Soul was all about Woman, the balancing act that’s played between career on one hand, and family or one’s private life on the other. To exemplify this nurturing, yet accomplishment-laden Woman, Lifestyle Network and Metro Society’s Raul Manzano invited Crickette Tantoco, Doody Tuason, Margarita Fores, Marilen Elizalde, Berta Feliciano, Maritina Romulo, Rhoda Aldanese, Lia Bernardo, Marilu Batchelor and Mia Borromeo to an event-filled weekend with Discovery Shores as “home base.” Along with ABS head of API and CPI Monchet Olives, Cristina Nieto Lopez, Raul, Carlo Ferrer and Ipe Cruz, I was tasked with playing host, GRO, nursemaid, what-have-you, for the event. I gripe, because that’s my personality, but it was actually  loads of fun. The ten “icons,” and the reps of the event’s sponsors, were all wonderful to interact with.

This was how the weekend played out: upon arrival, lunch was served, and then, an afternoon of wellness and rejuvenation at the Mandala Spa. The Sarimanok yacht and a trimaran were the settings for sunset cocktails and canapes “on the water,” followed by a sumptuous beachside dinner at Discovery Shores, with an inspiring post-dinner “soulspeak” with life coach Olen Lim. The following day had the option of early-morning yoga or one could wait for the culinary cook-off and lunch at Aria. Dinner that evening was at the very quaint and rustic, yet comfortable, Boracay Tropics Hotel, followed by an electrifying set by bossa queen Sitti, and a Metro Active fashion show of summer outfits provided by Rustan’s. This was at the Juice Bar, Piazzoleta. On the third day, Woman (or Goddess) rested, and it was just your basic lazing around the pool before boarding Discovery Shores’ private speedboat, and heading to Caticlan to board our flights back to Manila.

Lifestyle Channel had created a promo looking for the best answers to the question, “What makes you feel special and complete as a Woman?” Three very lucky televiewers were whisked to join us for that unique weekend. Samsung, Magnolia Butter, Jufran, Nivea Sun, Rustan’s Essenses, Lactacyd, Neutrogena, Nestle cream and Nesvita all came on board to help make the weekend a reality. And kudos to Discovery Shores’ GM Jun Parreno and executive chef David Pardo de Ayala for making our shore-stay highly memorable.

Over the three days, I’d regularly joke with my sales counterpart from cable, Julie Alfaro-Santiago, that on a weekend when you had the Superbods Search of Century Tuna, the Dragon Boat races and a Smart all-night Rock music fest, ours was the laid-back event for people with pacemakers, asleep by 8 p.m. and up by 5:30 a.m. — just when the frenzied denizens of the other events would be heading back to their hotels. To prove my joking carried some truth in it, Donnie Tantoco joined us, explaining that Crickette had never traveled without him, and call him old-fashioned, but he just had to accompany her. I’d catch Donnie doing laps in the pool, and jogging the length of the beach, by 7 in the morning. And of course, that begs the question of why would I even see him, unless I was also up by that hour! Our newly christened “Butter Boys” from  Magnolia, Paolo and Mike, and my newfound Nesvita buddy, Jay, would threaten to bolt and head for the “wilder” Bora events but we logically pointed out that our nocturnal activities would come to an end just about the same time that these other events would crank up! The best of two worlds, and they just had to remember to take their aspirin before sleeping, so “No hangover” the following morning.

On Sunday, everyone was sad to see the weekend come to a close. Lifestyle Network and Metro Society had wonderfully organized the event and Discovery Shores was a revelation. Donnie and Crickette immediately booked themselves for a weekend in late May at the hotel, bringing their children as a “graduation gift.” Without a doubt, standards have been raised at Bora with the entry of Discovery Shores; and Summer Soul was a serene, but unqualified, success!