Over 200 chi-chi personas circulated for the first of its kind photo book launch of mega make-up artist and the hottest persona in the field of beauty, Patrick Rosas, and world-class photobug, Jun de Leon, no less, palanggas.
Although 200 or so personas were noted as walking into the building’s ground floor, it seemed like their number tripled once they all got into the cocktail area, with the invitees spilling out into the front patio.
Doing the ribbon snipping were hot, hot namedroppables Anton Huang; Gina de Venecia; Hilda Antonio; and PDI’s brilliant Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, whose charitable organization, the Hands On Manila Foundation, of which she is the vice president, donated P300,000 from the sale of the books.
Apres sipping champagne, wine and beer, the hotshots moved over to another area of the building, where the mind-blowing photo exhibit of our town’s namedroppables were seen "floating on air." The portraits hang on nylon threads connected to the high ceiling. The crowd marvelled at how their friends were envisioned by Patrick R. and captured by Jun de L. on film.
An area was set up at the queue’s end so those must have books could be sold to many of those whose portraits are in the books and to many others who just had to have the super book for their own collection. They included moi, palanggas.
"It is a great turn out," said a tired but super happy Patrick R.
"I’m glad many people now appreciate this type of photography. I’m thrilled over it," expressed an ecstatic Jun de L. as he held his cutie pie daughter in his arms while being congratulated by the chi-chi pack.
"I don’t know Patrick, but I think it was a brilliant idea on his part to have come out with a book like this. It’s never been done and I’m glad he did this," Asia’s Fashion Czar Pitoy Moreno told moi.
Once the viewing was done, the pack dashed off for dinner in different restos in town while others stayed on and on.
Needless to say, Patrick and Jun’s fabi book, simply called Images, can be bought at National Bookstore and Page One in Rockwell.
Don’t walk, run and get this great book, palanggas.
The PORT payment gateway and The UnionBank E-on Visa Electron Card were introduced to about 1,600 hotshot CEOs and presidents of various companies, the shakers, movers and decision makers of the banking industry, plus other social and economic pillars confident about their portfolios.
The invitees breezed into the colossal Makati Shangri-La, dahlings, on a night that seemed like a summit featuring bigwigs in the dazzling galaxy of Philippine business who rubbed elbows to witness the e-operatic launch.
The launch simply astonished the chi-chi crowd, palanggas. Doing away with monotonous speeches and pallid power point presentations, a two-act musical spectacle adapted from Mozart’s Magic Flute dramatized the winning edge of cyber age banking with UnionBank. The high energy e-opera, as they wanted to call it, was directed by the Trumpets’ Jaime del Mundo. Yes, dahlings, take a bow, Jaime boy!
The message was tres clear – boring banking traditions had been broken. Moi never thought e-banking is for us, but it’s so convenient!
All the guests on that starry, starry night doffed their proverbial hats to the PORT and E-on Electron. It was bravo (!) time for UnionBank for these banking gems!
UnionBank should take another bow for all the power connections it was able to come up with, given its guests from the creamiest of the creme.
Justo Ortiz and Victor Valdepenas, chairman and CEO and president and COO of UnionBank respectively, shook hands and greeted the moneyed set of the business world. Well, dahlings, everybody had a grand time. Aside from the superb stage production for the launch, the hosts made sure that the invitees thrilled to the finest of Shangri-La’s exquisite cuisine. The bubbly champagne and superb wine overflowed as crystals kept on tinkling and toasting.
The big toast came when BSP Gov. Rafael Buenaventura, naturellement, led the ceremonial on-line switching of the PORT. It was a glittery signal for brighter things to come for UnionBank. As a matter of fact, prior the PORT’s formal launch, a lot of companies and business groups had already connected to the PORT. Wise move, palanggas! Whispers came moi way that a lot of "oohs" and "aahs" of envy were heard as UnionBank gave plaques of recognition to the founding members and partners of the PORT. Well, don’t be left out – the PORT is very much in!
Naturellement, dahlings, the raffle portion had anyone on the edge wishing, "Let it be me, let it be me!" Well, palanggas, if you’re wondering why the well-heeled and perfumed-set would bother to hold their breath, the reason was simple – the prize at stake was a free round-trip ticket to London with hotel accommodation, plus $1,000 pocket money and two free tickets to a West End show. Now, if that ain’t a treat fit for the kings and queens of that night, what is? The grand lucky winner was A-class corporate lawyer, Zaldy Mirasol.
A lot of things can be said and written about this e-banking event, but the major buzz, aside from the innovative products UnionBank launched, was how it turned out into a fantastic social event. Or better yet – a major social event! This only proves that in the banking world, it is not just the gold that glitters, palanggas. More importantly, it’s the brilliant individuals, the magnum successful achievers and the beautiful people who were all there for one reason – UnionBank was at its best!
And to lawyer Zaldy Mirasol, send my regards to the Queen, buddy.
Last week, Patrick R.’s and Jun de L.’s book was the rave of the city. So was UnionBank’s easy-banking, palanggas. What an exciting week.
Be happy. See you.