In honor of Lea

A cozy dinner party at the beautiful garden of the Leonors on Taft Avenue was hosted by generous couple Jun and Nene Leonor and their son Junboy to bid farewell to and celebrate the birthday of world-renowned artist Lea Salonga. Guests enjoyed an evening of flowing drinks and good conversations while the guest of honor and her husband Rob Chien went around each table to welcome each guest to the celebration. Dear friends who joined in on the festivities were Bayo couple Ferdie and Lynn Agustin, Buddy Zabala of The Dawn, the king of music and lyrics Louie Ocampo, the very talented Agot Isidro, music legends Jose Mari Chan and RJ Jacinto with their beautiful wives Mary Ann and Frannie respectively, the elegant Lisa Gokongwei and husband Berck Cheng and the charming Mellie Ablaza. The highlight of the evening was when all the guests joined together in the singing of Happy Birthday for the celebrant. It was of course a very warm farewell to Lea.

High goalers

Let’s face it, when it comes to class, nothing beats the game of polo. At the recent annual Enrique Zobel Memorial Polo Cup, world-class polo players showed off their skills and paid tribute to the late tycoon Enrique Zobel. The who’s who of Philippine fashion, politics and business gathered at the Ascot-inspired event supported by Van Heusen, a top American male fashion brand. Proceeds of the event will also help build schools for poor children.

Congratulations for such a successful cup!

Goodwill and cooperation

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. and his lovely wife Kay continue to spread goodwill to our Japanese and Filipino friends through various activities and events. Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the couple at the kind ambassador’s residence after the Prime Minister’s successful trip to the Philippines. Congratulations to the Siazons for spreading warm Filipino hospitality to our Japanese friends!

A princely welcome

His Serene Highness Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein, chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Peace Foundation, visited Manila and launched the first ASEAN-wide event series, "Bridges-Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace." Prince Alfred stayed at the Dusit Hotel Nikko and was welcomed by its GM Ikuo Itoi.

Welcome to the Philippines, Prince Alfred!

Large 8

Jacob’s Creek, a brand that prides itself in supporting and promoting profound talent the world over with its various campaigns in the realm of sports, media and arts, lent a flavorful toast to SM Supermall’s Large 8 event. In an advocacy to create art awareness and appreciation among the masses, SM unveiled this grand art exhibit with larger than life photo abstraction compositions mounted on 30-foot steel trusses by renowned artists Bien Bautista, National Artist Ben Cabrera, Quincy Castillo, Emil Davocol, Pancho Escaler, Jojo Guingona, Wig Tysmans and Jaime Zobel de Ayala. Guests were treated to the Jacob’s Creek Merlot, Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé varieties. Thanks to BestWorld Beverage Brands president and GM Edna Diaz, everyone experienced sips of these masterpieces.

Long live Filipino talent!

Johnny’s Wine of the Week

This week, your columnist recommends Ramon Bilbao Mirto. Bright and cherry red with highly fruity and concentrated aromas, it has good weight and excellent buildup of fruit. Also fleshy, ripe, possessing great depth and fine tannin structure texture. Mirto owes its elegance and complexity to a 24-month ageing in new French oak casks. Perfect with mushrooms and truffles or with light spicy food or stews and tender non-smoked cheeses. Exclusively imported and distributed by BestWorld Beverage Brands.

(For inquiries, please call 637-8491 to 94 or e-mail [email protected])