A rewarding mall experience

If retail therapy could really make you happy, you might as well have a rewarding mall experience.

RCBC Bankard takes the mall experience to a higher level with its launch of the Sta. Lucia Mall-RCBC Bankard MasterCard, the country’s first shopping mall co-branded credit card. 

The collaboration among RCBC Bankard, Sta. Lucia Mall and MasterCard is designed to give cardholders rewards, rebates, discounts and other privileges at Sta. Lucia Mall Department Store, Sta. Lucia Supermarket, Home Gallery, Planet Toys and other participating tenants of Sta. Lucia Mall.

The launch coincided with the mall’s 20th anniversary. The two-fold launch, one for its trade partners and another for mall customers, had a show featuring entertainment from Calvin Millado, Christine Marquez, Allan Alojipan and Jenny Villegas.

RCBC Bankard MasterCard gives cardholders a 0.5 percent year-round rebate on all transactions, including a 1 percent year-round discount at Sta. Lucia Supermarket and as much as 10 percent discount from participating tenants of Sta. Lucia Mall. Cardholders also enjoy a three-month zero percent installment at Sta. Lucia Department Store and Planet Toys and three to six months zero percent installment at Home Gallery. Cardholders can also take advantage of regular installment rates for six- and 12-month terms.

Other card benefits include free movie pass for every P3,000 single transaction at the mall’s participating merchants, free entrance to Royale Tagaytay Club, advance sale at Sta. Lucia Department Store, Home Gallery and Planet Toys, free parking for a minimum spend of P500, priority lane at Sta. Lucia Supermarket and other freebies.

US Embassy holds Independence Day golf event

The US Embassy successfully held the second Annual US Independence Day Charity Golf Tournament at the Canlubang Golf and Country Club in Laguna. Spearheaded by the US Embassy Golf Club (USEGC) led by president Aziz Younes, the event was graced by US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr., former President Fidel V. Ramos, Philippine Olympic Committee head Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, golf course designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. and People Asia publisher Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez.

The golfers were subjected to challenges at the Country Club’s north and south courses. North course champs were Ambassador Thomas, Joe White, Felix Cortez and Finina Gorres while South course golfers Ryan Abdon, Willy Tee Ten and Miguel Socco emerged as winners. Overall champion of the tournament was Jobim Carlos.

Attended by over 200 golfers, the event, which was supported by over 50 American and Filipino sponsors with media partners People Asia magazine and communications firm Weber Shandwick, was able to raise more than P1.1million surpassing last year’s P850,000. Proceeds will benefit 13 US Embassy Club charities.

Everything Italian

It was a showcase of everything Italian — fashion, food, wines, cosmetics and toiletries — when Rustan’s Department Store, Stores Specialists, Inc, and Metrobank Card Corp. presented “Bella Patria! Beautiful Motherland!”

The month-long festival proved Rustan’s and Stores Specialists, Inc. house only the best and finest in Italian fashion when they staged the “Moda Italia Fashion Show” at Greenbelt 4. Guests enjoyed red and white wine from Ralph’s Wines & Spirits, Santa Vittoria Mineral Water from Wine Depot and a selection of Italy’s famous cold cuts, cheese and bread catered by Makati Shangri-La Manila.

Models walked down the runway wearing the latest creations of Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Tod’s, Furla, Ermenegildo Zegna, Marlboro Classics, A/X Armani Exchange, Diesel, Bulgari, Emilio Pucci, Coccinelle and Fendi.

Spotted were Kathy Huang, Dina Tantoco, Chris Tantoco, Christian Tantoco, Metrobank Card Corp. president Riko Abdurrahman, Italian Embassy’s First Secretary Dr. Alfonso Tagliaferri, Finnish Ambassador Heikki Hannikainen, Indian Ambassador Yogendra Kumar, Greek Ambassador Polyxeni Stefanidou, Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines president Armando di Rossi and Alessandro Abbate, Ramon and Silvana Diaz, Patty Betita and Riana Matera.