Besos y abrazzos

An absolutely special cocktail/dinner party took place a new moon ago for one of Cosmo Manille’s popular and super pedigreed alta sociedad ladies, Ising Madrigal-Vazquez when she turned another leaf of her rich beautiful life, dahlings. The party was tendered by her sister, philanthropist and author Chito Madrigal-Collantes, Ising’s closest pal Frank Provost and Jewelmer’s most lustrous pearl, Baby Cruz.

The evening, palanggas, was blessed with a beautiful clear sky with glimmering stars and a cool breeze. Just perfect for Chito M.C.’s sprawling, well-manicured garden! Tables were decked with pristine linen and highlighted with blood-red roses underneath elegant white tents.

On the dance floor, the versatile, one and only Moise rendered French, Latin and American hit songs. Apres excellently prepared finger food and cocktails at the huge living room, the chi-chi invitees socialized as they nibbled on yummy fried squash flowers and oyster mushrooms; chorizo de Bellota croquettas; Barquillo cylinders stuffed with salmon roe; and Parmegiano Reggiano with shitake mushrooms.

Ising’s respected famille belonging to the second, third and fourth generation Madrigals were there. So was statuesque former First Lady Imelda Marcos and her former Blue Ladies led by ultra-glamorous patroness of the arts, Imelda Cojuangco; eye-catcher Lita Feliciano; world-class jeweler and wife of the former Philippine Ambassador to Spain, Liding Oledan; vibrant Ofie Recto; and still looking like a beauty queen, Edith Nakpil Rabat. The celebrator’s "Bridge-istas" also came: Southern lady Ditas Jalbuena; socialite Mercy Tuason; Bob Yap; Pocholo Lozano; Tessie Sequera; Tita Bayot Arnaiz; and Patching Patistucchi. So did her mahjong groupie of Rosie Valencia, Pilar Singsong, Josie Vergel de Dios, Baby Gana Lim, Mitos Schultz and naturellement, Baby Cruz; her Manila golf buddies; some classmates and close pals including Alfonso Yuchengco; Helen Yuchengco Dee; popular Marixi and Alex Prieto; lady of all seasons Cristina Ponce-Enrile; Dr. and Mrs. Bert Macasaet; banker Cesar Virtusio; Rene Espina; Jewelmer’s gent of taste, Manoling Cojuangco; Isabel Suntay; Isa Suntay Dilsner; dashing P.L. and Madeleine Lim; woman of substance and know-how Irene Martel-Francisco; young miss with the four B’s, Vana Virata; Buda Samson; Arthur Young and his wife; old-wealth couple with solid portfolios, Paeng Hechanova and Mellie Concepcion-H.; Menchu Concepcion; Kokoy Romualdez and Monding Reyes on a rare night out; and international jetsetter, Wendy Purcell who shuttles between Manille, Europe and her chic Park Avenue apartment in New York.

The hotshot invitees feasted on the delectable food fabulously prepared by Gaita Fores, no less. There were baked artichoke and tomato dips with crostini rounds and baked asparagus with gruyere besides a lavish buffet that featured choices of pasta, palanggas, like ravioli with paté de foie gras in black truffle cream; lechon with red wine sauce and Asian mortada di frutta; the cornish hen adobo in olive oil with roasted chestnuts; plus other yummies. These were all completed with a calorific forget-your-calorie-counting desserts. There were red and white wine and the coveted Dom Perignon to drown the amazing buffet.

Then came the time for Ising to blow the candles of her birthday cake surrounded by her beautiful famille: el muy simpatico hubby Dr. Danny Vazquez; smart Bela Vazquez; mega businessman Miguel and sultry beauty Judy Vazquez; brilliant working socialite Marivic Vazquez and her constant escort, shipping man Philip Tuason; Terry Madrigal; Mandy and young hostess with the most, Chuchu Madrigal- Eduque; Lulu and Paqui Ortigas; BPI’s hot name Gigi Montinola; Gino and his wife, Ging Gonzales Madrigal-M.; Mary de Leon and handsome Southern gent Ed Mijares; plus tons of other pals.

The fun celebration was both grand and heartfelt, dahlings, a birthday moi am sure our simpatica Queen for a Day will not easily forget. To Ising Vazquez, here’s to lots of beso y abrazzos. Salud, palangga!

Our princess and prince of the hour

Sharp, workasonic and dynamic Duty Free Phils. GM Michael Kho, dahlings, co-hosted a super fun birthday bash for two of his "favorite people in the world," the Department of Tourism’s charming, hardworking royalette and jewelry heiress, Carissa Oledan Coscolluela and mega successful e-business entrepreneur Armand Arreza.

The bash was held at Eastwood City a glowing full moon ago. Helping entertain Manille’s young shakers and achievers were the honorees’ better halves–Carissa C.’s steadier than steady love, smart lawyer Ferdie Hernandez (who by the by, has been appointed as assistant secretary in charge of consumer welfare at the Department of Trade and Industry) and Armand A.’s super gracious porcelain beauty wife, Paz Arreza.

It turns out that it’s a tradition for this gang of young movers to take turns feting each other not just on birthdays but whenever they feel like doing something nice for each other!

Well-wishers couldn’t have enough of the yummies on the buffet spread and drinks that flowed all night long. Deep in what must have been horse-talk, palanggas, were Shu Uemura’s top-of-the-line asset, vivacious Tina Tinio; Asian Games gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski and husband Dodot J.; eligible bachelor, Wharton and Harvard-educated Dennis Mendiola who is behind the success of Chikka.com; and Northwest Airlines’ popular dude, Marlon Santos.

Also spotted were our town’s newest couple, handsome banker Derrick Santos and gorgeous Cebu belle Leigh Carcel; Jewelmer’s tall, dusky stunner Angela Poblador; and Pamela Alfaro who just sailed in from a Southeast Asian cruise. Catching up with them were DOT’s top-notch pretty lawyer Leni Adriano and her hubby, Jet A.; Wenchie Ramos; fun Jo Lagunzad; Girlie Bernal; Pinky Cabling; Malou Cabigao; and Louis Pawid who is due for her date with the stork in a couple of months.

Moi zoomed in on appliance and electronics taipan Geopie Lim of Automatic Center and Blims; bright young lawyer Giancarlo Sambalido and his wife Marnie Gordon-S.; stockbroker and customer service expert Rodney Lim; ABS-CBN asset Paolo Pineda; investment banker Paey Reyes; First Holdings’ Vincent Villegas; the prestigious HSBC’s popular Joel Cruz; and Global-stride’s V. Rolando Zosa; Lizzie Gonzales; and Renzie Ramirez, all looking like the country’s future hotshot business leaders, dahlings.

Also there were Duty Free stalwart Enchong Formoso and his nice wife Cel F. who is the hotshot lady of chic Lancel in the Philippines. She revealed that new and exciting things can be expected from Lancel since its international acquisition last year by the Richmonde Group that owns such fabi brands as Cartier, Dunhill, Mont Blanc and Panerai, no less.

Phoning in all the way from California just to sing Happy Birthday to the celebrators were magnate-to-be, Stanford graduate student Dino Tantoco Pineda and soon-to-be mom, pretty as a picture Marivic P.

To our young princess and prince of the hour, Carissa Coscolluela and Armand Arreza, here’s to the best that money can’t buy with a prosperous year ahead!

Cheers, palanggas!

Noche de Ronda

The feast of Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar, dahlings, is celebrated locally by many Spanish-speaking communities like the La Hermandad Zamboangueña Foundation (LHZ) composed of Zamboangueños residing in Cosmo Manille. Members had a fun-filled Noche de Ronda at that stable of the horsey set, the Manila Polo Club, a new full moon ago. The event highlighted the influence of Spanish culture in beautiful Zamboanga City and promoted the unique chavacano language.

Listening to chavacano spoken among the reunited compobalanos amused the special hotshot invitees like the Mexican Embassy’s First Secretary Don Carlos Torres; former Education secretary and MTRCB chairman, el simpatico Don Alejandro Roces; popular Manila Mayor Lito Atienza; La Academia Filipina de la Lengua Española’s Don Pepe Rodriguez and his wife, Lulu Coching-R.; still a beauty, Delia Razon; top car racer Pocholo Ramirez; ABS-CBN’s hotshot Freddie Garcia whose beautiful wife Glo Dominguez-G. is a true blue Zamboangueña and LHZ past president; brilliant CCP board trustee and IBC 13 board member Behn Cervantes; and AFP retired generals Billy Villaruel, Frankie Atayde and Col. Frank Adriano, among other delightful Spanish speaking personas.

Spanish songs and dances including El Baile de Matron, El Paso Doble and El Relicario were performed by LHZ past officers and present president led by Nenie Uro Balcos; Etta Silos Mendez; Fely Salazar Pedrosa; Emma Bucoy Carag; Anabelle Santos Adriano; Terry Suarez Tambunting; Zeny Santos Hernandez; Nitz Uro Gonzales; Delsey Durano; and Lita Short. Los Caballero dancers were Mon Pedrosa, Fred Suarez, Sonny Tambunting, Kenneth Gaerlan (choreographer), Col. Frank Adriano and Tony Sol. Vivacious true-blue Zamboangueña, la simpatica Loly Pichel Mara and Mon Pedrosa were the emcees.

Ising Vazquez’s elegant dinner party and the swinging birthday bash Carissa Oledan Coscolluela had us rocking from midtown to uptown with a breather at the Polo Club where our palanggas from Zamboanga had us tripping in Spain.

So, what else can I say but see you along the way!