Here come the brides

Since June is known as the wedding season (actually, more Cosmo Manille weddings take place in December and January), the colossal Waterfront Cebu City Hotel successfully mounted Weddings at the Waterfront. This fantastic three-day event gathered Cebu’s top-of-the-line suppliers, fashion designers, floral artists, wedding video and photo bugs, makers of cakes, pastries, jewelry, flatware and cutlery, and wedding planners.

Tall and dashing Patrick Gregorio, the Waterfront’s mega president; super workaholic charmer and EVP Rexlon Gatchalian; el simpatico Marco Protacio, the hotel’s brilliant F&B director who was the project’s mover and shaker, were all smiles as they welcomed hotshot personas from Cebu’s alta sociedad and other namedroppable invitees who jetted in from Cosmo Manille via Philippine Airlines.

The rest of the Waterfront management rah! rah! team who pooled their creativity to make the event a smashing success, palanggas, included Bernadette Jingco, officer-in-charge for hotel operations, eye-catching Shella Laxa, marketing director, and beauty and brains Pia Almendras, PR manager.

During the opening cocktail reception, dahlings, the VIP personas who snipped the ribbon were Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, and beautiful couple Richard and Lucy Torres-Gomez.

With the help of Cebu’s ZEE magazine the ballroom’s foyer was transformed into a "Tradition Innovation: A Gallery of Cebu Weddings in Retrospect." The list of the brides and their gowns’ respective fashion designers included Amparito Llamas Lhuillier (Pedrito Legaspi); Yedda Kittelsvedt Romualdez (Inno Sotto); Carla Larrazabal del Prado (Philip Rodriguez); Cathy Santamaria Escaño (Pitoy Moreno); Lucy Torres-Gomez (Randy Ortiz); Donna Cruz Larrazabal (Vera Wang); Martine Victoria Puyat Larrazabal (Pascal Banet); Maricel Matinez Maniquis (Rajo Laurel); Nenita Tanchoco Chiongbian (Felix Yu); Emilyn Chua (Viring Romoff); Maria Luisa Osmeña Van Riel (Annie Aboitiz); and Tricia Rivera Gullas (Oj Hofer).

A bridal fashion show aptly named Sposabella (as in, "beautiful bride") featured Cebu’s premier fashion designers led by Jude Elardo; Protacio Empaces; Jun Jun Escario; Arcy Gayatin; Oj Hofer; Ditas Rodriguez; Philip Rodriguez; Jojo Romoff; Felix Yu; and Minnie Yuvienco. Manille’s equally talented fashion designers who jetted in with their collections included Rhett Eala; Rajo Laurel; Randy Ortiz; and Carla Sibal. Overall concept, direction and choreography was by none other than, the fabi Jackie Aquino.

At the bridal symposia, dahlings, the topics included Floral Trends and Theme Weddings by Mabolo’s genius florist and landscaper Antonio Garcia; Color Trends and Bridal Wear Forecast by Southern wonder boy Randy Ortiz; Makeup Trends by Christine Duque of Clarins; Rites of Passage (The Sacrament of Matrimony) by Fr. Rod Salazar; Bedside Manners (Wedding Etiquette) by the hotel’s very own Marco Protacio; Honeymoon Destinations by PAL’s Cid Lingenco and Marisol Baria of the popular Baron Travel.

Aside from the activities during the bridal week, we also enjoyed being entertained by the hotel’s mega hotshot personas. We had a fun luncheon hosted by the hotel’s president, super nice Iloilo gent, Patrick Gregorio at the excellent Italian Resto, La Gondola; a get-together lunch at the well-run Café Uno; and a super Chinese dinner at the Tiu Gow resto given by Rexlon Gatchalian, no less.

Another highlight of the bridal fair, palanggas, was the presentation of Cebu’s most sought-after dudes and babes in formal wear. They were led by the young Bogo, Cebu mayor, handsome Celestino Martinez III. This 28-year-old with a ladies’ killer smile is also the vice president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Cebu Chapter. His many talents include singing. He describes his ideal mate as "intelligent and with a sense of humor." He is the son of Celestino and Rep. Clavell Martinez.

Another super eligible persona is Marketing and Economics graduate of the University of New York, Rany Misa, the son of Ed and Helen Misa. A health buff, he is the general manager of Hotel de Mercedes. A young, 29-year-old gent who has no plans of getting married for now, he describes a perfect mate as "pleasant, intelligent and attractive with an honest smile."

Then there’s Carlo Marcelo Sainz, a Fine Arts graduate of UP Cebu. He is a hip, good-looking 28-year-old bachelor who manages his famille’s financing business and who has done some print and ramp modeling. His ideal mate? "Someone who speaks her mind," he says. Carlo is the son of Manuel and Melba Sainz.

Restaurant owner Segundino "Dindin" Selma is a handsome bachelor who is the managing director of Don Henrico’s Cebu. A graduate of the University of San Carlos, Cebu, he enjoys golf, swimming and soccer. And because he is so irresistibly good-looking, he has had ramp modeling stints. Ambitious and handsome, he hopes to get married at the age of 30. Dindin is the son of Jun and Connie Selma.

Tall, dark and extremely handsome ladies’ swoon bait Glenn Soco is a successful businessman. He is the son of mega businessman Guillermo and Adelina Soco. A self-made wealthy persona, Glenn is the founder and president of Coffee Dream; COO of MIMS; a cinema operato; proprietor of Satellite Foods; and is also involved in their famille restaurant business. His marriage plans? "It really depends when the right girl comes along," he told us wth a naughty smile.

Among the most eligible Southern bachelorettes is Monique de Gallego, a super head turner who recently graduated from the Center for International Education. She helps out in her famille’s architectural and construction business.

There’s also petite and attractive shipping heiress Jennifer "Jay-Jay" Palacio, a graduate of St. Therese College. She works for their famille business when not modeling in print ads and on the ramp. Twenty-five-year-old Jay-Jay, who still hasn’t found Mr. Right, is the daughter of Florentino and Ellen Palacio.

Another head turner is Christine Tan, the daughter of Cresencio and Lourdes Tan. A management specialist, this beauty and brains 24-year-old is a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila. She is the legislative officer of Sen. Loren Legarda. Her ideal mate? "Someone who has integrity, intelligence and a sense of humor," she replies.

Head turner Pia Angel Almendras, the super popular PR manager of The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, enjoys every minute of her freedom, palanggas. This stunning lady is a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University. Only 23, she says her ideal mate "must be ambitious, affectionate and sensitive." Pia is the daughter of Ruben and Linda Almendras.

During the fabi three-day affair, Summit Media’s bridal magazine Bride & Home was also launched with former models, Cosmopolitan editor Myrza Sison and Tweety de Leon-Gonzalez tres visibly handing out their glossy mags to tons of prospective brides.

Leave it to the grand Waterfront, palanggas, to have the Queen City of the South bustling for days.

Fil-Chi celebrates third anniversary

The tres popular Filipino-Chinese Federation of Business and Professional Women of the Philippines (Fil-Chi), dahlings, is a fantastic organization of brilliant women executives committed to the full integration of women into the mainstream global economy by creating opportunities for them.

Fil-Chi was founded in December 1998 under the brilliant leadership of its incumbent president commissioner, hardworking Myrna Yao, no less. It was formally launched on March 1999 in time with the Women’s Month. Fil-Chi celebrated its third anniversary on a new moon in Malacañang with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, no less, as guest of honor. Chairing the anniversary celebration was Betty Dante Aw.

Fil-Chi has again selected women representing a new breed of leaders. The awardees included Bulacan Gov. Josie de la Cruz for public service; PCGG Chair Haydee Yorac for government; and CPA and Asian Hospital founder and president Evelyn Singson for profession; and Sun Life Canada (Phils.) president Esther Tan for business. Meriting special recognition for her fresh approach to journalism was our very own Philippine STAR EVP, Grace Glory Go. Lily Lim Chua chaired Fil-Chi’s Search for Outstanding Women with lawyer Amy Wong and Nenet Ang as co-chairs.

Fil-Chi, dahlings, also recognized public school teachers in special education: Rhoda Nocum; Thelma Guarino; Mercedita Devocion; Rosalina Manabat; and Pere Reonal. In partnership with the DECS-NCR, the search for Best Teachers Committee was chaired by Anna Lao and co-chaired by Nadeia Sarte.

The most important part of the anniversary program, palanggas, was the launching of The Philippine Livelihood Marketing Corp. (Philmaco), Fil-Chi’s most ambitious project to date. "Fil-Chi is focusing on the economic empowerment of grassroots women by developing and enhancing their entrepreneurial capabilities through this project," explained to moi by Myrna Yao. "Philmaco shall be the vehicle that will package and intensively market livelihood products of grassroots-based home and agricultural industries with the aim of increasing their productivity and developing them from micro to small and medium enterprises."

Fil-Chi’s partners in the project are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, the Department of Agriculture, the DOST, the DTI and SM Supermarket. Smart Nadeia Sarte chairs this project.

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Its hard to beat a good thing, palanggas. No wonder Cebu’s Waterfront Hotel is top of the line. Not bad, huh! Not bad at all.

Have a great, fun week, but do drive carefully, palanggas. See you.