A treat for pizza lovers

Cosmo Manille welcomed Pizza Express with open arms, dahlings, when the popular UK-based pizza chain opened its first branch locally in the tres popular Greenbelt 3 mall in teh presence of tons of die-hard pizza lovers.

No less than British Ambassador Paul Dimond and Ayala Land president Francisco Licuanan snipped the ceremonial ribbon and took the first yummy bite out of the Pizza Express pizzas with statuesque beauties Bea Zobel Jr., vivaciously fun Pia Guanio and Tweety de Leon-Gonzales.

Pizza Express’ UK rah! rah! team led by Ana Boricic, as well as the local franchisees and true pizza lovers, Carmelo Ortiz; Manny and Avic Ticzon; Estelle Ortiz; Dean Dayao; and lawyer Noel Laman (representing his daughter Christine Laman) welcomed the invitees who included business associates and special guests.

Everyone dug in on the excellently prepared buffet of the freshest fruits, imported cheeses and the popular mini-Pizza Express. The international team had expertly taught its Philippine counterpart the secrets and special cooking techniques that have made the brand so popular in Europe and beyond.

Head trainers for chefs and waiters, Marc Wilson and Steven Flint jetted into town especially to prepare the Pizza Express crew. "The trainees were very attentive. More importantly, they were willing to learn," observed Marc who has been with Pizza Express for six years. Marc makes sure the quality of the food served at every Pizza Express anywhere in the world meets the company’s high standards.

"Pizza Express spends heavily on training its staff, and I was pleasantly surprised to note that the Filipino crew were so efficient. It took them only two weeks to perfect the Pizza Express requirements," said good-looking Brit Steven Flint.

Hotshots couldn’t get enough of Pizza Express’ special trademark oven pizza which cooks like a rustic wood-fired one but only in a quarter of the time. The pizza treats delighted and satisfied such namedroppables as Caltex’s Ronnie David; Bimbo and Kweenie Mills; Gilbert and Gina Garcia; Rene Benitez; Titong and Cora Tanjuatco; Robert Yupangco; Metropolitan Museum’s hardworking Southern gent, Ino Manalo; and young entrepreneur Jay Tambunting. PBA hard court heroes from who dug into the pizza were Mike Cortez; Alvin Castro; Tony dela Cruz; and Rob Johnson. From the PBL came Don Uy; Mon Jose; and Manny Ramos.

But the fun and relaxed evening did not end there, palanggas. Apres everything was eaten, guests lingered on to listen to the voices of Cookie Chua; Christine Carlos; and the Affinity Band. That’s how good the variety of pizzas and the company were, palanggas.

Maximum mileage

All those jet-setting personas who are members of Philippine Airlines (PAL) Mabuhay Miles, dahlings, have more reasons to travel with a smile. In a successful, fun cocktail party held at impressive Pan Pacific Hotel Manila, Mabuhay Miles announced its latest tie-up with – yes, you’re right – Pan Pacific Hotel, natch!, bringing with it a string of 20 top-rated hotels in Asia and North America. Mabuhay Miles members can now enjoy five-star accommodations at key tourist and business destinations in Asia – in Bangkok, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, China, San Francisco and Vancouver.

Pan Pacific’s tie-up with Mabuhay Miles offers members more than just world-class service; they instantly earn 250 to 500 miles when they check in at any of the participating Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. Members with accommodations extending beyond five nights are credited with additional 250/500 base miles/per night on the fifth until the 10th night of their stay. Not bad, huh? Not bad at all, palanggas!

The cocktail gathered PAL’s Mabuhay Miles members close to PAL’s heart. They were led by hotshot jet-setters, Million Milers Friedrich Jahns and Vince Solon.

The party featured a tres interesting mix of invitees like Mabuhay Premier Elite members, Pan Pacific Hotels’ top boss, hotshot namedroppables and PAL heavyweights led by VP for sales David Lim and tall and workasonic head turner, Joy Pasiliao of the Mabuhay Miles rah! rah! team.

Like all of PAL’s super happenings, palanggas, a grand raffle was held. It offered free business class tickets and a five-night six-day hotel accommodation package to Bangkok, Singapore and Vancouver, another set of business class tickets to San Francisco and Los Angeles, plus chic Samsonite travel bags.

Needless to say, palanggas, the guests always look forward to being invited to the next event from our favorite pal, Philippine Airlines, which invariably becomes as good a time as any to salute our flagship airline that brings the most mileage, mabuhay!

Despedida for Norma Baja

Popular society woman Norma Baja, the wife of Lauro Baja, and the newly-appointed Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, dahlings, has been kept tres, tres busy on her toes these days attending numerous farewell parties tendered endlessly in her honor by her friends.

One of Norma’s long-time pals and one of our town’s hostesses with the most, Letty Syquia, the wife of Ambassador Enrique Syquia of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, gathered some of Norma’s chosen friends from the diplomatic corps, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and naturellement, the private sector, to wish our Lady of the Hour, Norma, lots of good luck as she prepared to leave for moi favorite New York.

Leading the lunch bunch were Susana Ople; Meng Zaide; DFA’s Fe Cabactulan, looking cool in a flowery printed summer luncheon outfit; Anita Ng; Anita Sy; Linda San Mateo; Carmen Garrido; Maryjo Aragon; Sonia Co; Canada’s Marilyn Collette; European Union’s Agnes de Kok; Korea’s Han Hyung Wook; Mexico’s la graciosa Mariana Hubbard; Nigeria’s Grace Inije; Russia’s Valentina Nebogatov; Marie Ricciardone of the US; a lady in demand in Cosmo Manille happenings, tall and Southern head turner Aurora Lapuz Lopez de Sagaz of Spain; Paz Yuchengco; top society lady, always a fashion plate Justa Tantoco; Nellie Bengzon; glamorous Mellie Ablaza; vivacious Naty Pappas; Alice Guerrero; adorable and energized socialite, Tereret Tambunting Liboro; Cora Espiritu; Luz Cullen; Helen Ong; plus others like them too well-known to mention.

The superb lunch made the ladies forget calorie counting, palanggas. They also sipped on wine and toasted their pal Norma and her husband Ambassador Lauro Baja who they hoped would may have a safe trip to New York.

Well, that’s all for today, dahlings. Catch you in Boracay this week, palanggas.