Of queens & new beginnings

Makati Shangri-La unveiled its second ballroom named Isabela, a more stylized and modern event space. The unveiling took place at an intimate event entitled “Nouveau,” which signified new beginnings. The event coincided with the turnover ceremony of Makati Shangri-La’s new area manager and general manager, Alain Borgers.

The ballroom’s name has historical significance. While the bigger Rizal Ballroom is named after the country’s national hero, Isabela represents an important figure that was instrumental in the discovery of the Philippines — Queen Isabela of Spain — because it was her and her husband, King Philip II of Spain, for whom the Philippines was named after, who provided for the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan around the world, eventually leading him to discover the Philippines.

Makati Shangri-La’s outgoing area manager and general manager Reto Klauser introduced Borgers. The turnover was marked with a ceremonial passing of the “key” to the incoming area manager and general manager of the hotel. Aside from his hotel base in Makati, Borgers will now be at the helm of other Shangri-La hotels and resorts in the Philippines.

Makati Shangri-La’s hotel manager Andrew den Oudsten then took the floor to explain the facets of the new Isabela Ballroom saying, “We take pride and pleasure in introducing Isabela Ballroom to our guests, a contemporary and cozy venue where they can enjoy any kind of celebration, be it with loved ones, colleagues or business partners.”

Den Oudsten added, “The concept for Isabela is versatility. It is perfect for intimate celebrations, as well as grander events within the ballroom. There is no other function space in the city that offers innovative culinary concepts, interchangeable furniture, a private dining area, a dedicated bar, modern lighting and audiovisual technology all in one place.”

Doors then opened to reveal the new Isabela Ballroom, where culinary stations were positioned to showcase different cuisine creations prepared by Makati Shangri-La’s area executive chef Paul Lenz and his team.

The Isabela Ballroom is located at the lower lobby level of the hotel, in what used to be Quezon Ballroom. Reminiscent of an elegant residential space, the ballroom is designed by renowned Hong Kong-based LRF Design Ltd., the same group responsible for some of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ iconic properties across Asia.

For intimate gatherings, there is a 22-seater dining area with its own dedicated kitchen studio located by the ballroom. To keep celebrations private, a soft enclosure using curtains may be drawn. Adjacent to the dining and kitchen area is a 24-seater bar and cocktail section.

A car entrance is now also accessible through the Basement 1 Parking. A VIP anteroom is available with a separate bathroom, shower and powder room.

(For inquiries or event bookings, please call the Events Information Center at 813-8888 or e-mail [email protected] or visit www.shangri-la.com/Makati.)

Beauty talk with Dove

As a follow up to the Dove Care Talks series, Dove Deos held an intimate event to discuss an issue that women usually don’t speak openly about — the underarms. Giving insights on the various skin concerns women face daily was Dr. Anna Palabyab Rufino. She said, “The underarms are an unspoken concern that most women deal with on a day-to-day basis, perhaps even more than cellulite or stretch marks.”

The event, hosted by Kat Alano, shed light on how to care for one of the most sensitive parts of the body. With years of research and expertise on underarm skincare, Dove Deodorant provides specialized solutions for women’s underarm concerns by offering a range of variants, which have specific product benefits. The Dove Whitening Deodorant addresses the problem of dark chicken skin in only seven days. There is also the Dove Ultimate White, which takes care of those stubborn dark underarm spots. And the latest addition to the line is Dove Pure, the anti-irritation variant that gives protection from sweat and keeps underarms looking beautiful.

The brand believes that getting the conversation started is the first step towards finding the right solution to women’s underarm woes.

In honor of our teachers

In an effort to expand educational opportunity, the Teach for the Philippines Week was recently launched. The Teach for the Philippines is an educational organization that became the 25th partner to join the Teach for All global network.

Dedicated to expanding the movement to eliminate educational inequity, the event recruited key leaders in public and private sectors to become guest teachers in several of the organization’s partner schools. Through this event, Teach for the Philippines aimed to pay tribute to all teachers everywhere to celebrate National Teacher’s Month.

Teach for the Philippines Week ran at several of the organization’s partner schools in Quezon City, including Apolonio Samson Elementary School, West Fairview Elementary School, Kamuning Elementary School, Krus Na Ligas Elementary School, Sto. Cristo Elementary School, Bagong Pag-asa Elementary School and General Roxas Elementary School.

HSBC Philippines chief operating officer John Nicholls kicked off the event by teaching Math to Grade 3 students alongside Teach for the Philippines fellow Delfin Villafuerte at General Roxas Elementary School. Villafuerte graduated valedictorian from Ateneo de Manila University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics (Honors Program).

Nicholls said, “For somebody like me who started my career as a volunteer teacher, I find Teach for the Philippines fantastically well- organized. I take pride in HSBC’s support of Teach for the Philippines — improving quality and access to education, as well as providing young leaders an opportunity to work in their communities while developing themselves into an attractive talent pool for future community-minded employers such as HSBC.”

HSBC president and CEO Wick Veloso expressed his warmest wishes to Teach for the Philippines. He said, “On behalf of HSBC, I congratulate Teach for the Philippines for providing these young fellows with a transformative experience that equips them with lifelong skills to be a successful leader. HSBC and Teach for the Philippines share the same vision of providing an opportunity to attain an excellent education; thus, leaving a mark on the future of the Philippines.”

Guest teachers had the opportunity to teach a subject in one class alongside a fellow in their respective schools. The available subjects included Math, Filipino, HEKASI (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika), Araling Panlipunan, Science, English and MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health).

This event will hopefully inspire students to strive for success based on the examples of their guest teachers. Color me ANNY

A woman can express her personal style through nail colors.

One brand that understands this style is ANNY, which recently debuted in Manila via an exclusive press launch at SM Aura’s Prestige Lounge.

The brand, locally distributed by Brio One, is quality nail polish made in close collaboration with experts and pioneers in professional nail design. It is a new concept in nail color and presents wide range selection covering 96 classic shades enhanced by six trendy fashion colors. With 108 colors, it offers an incomparable selection of nail polish products in unmatched professional quality.

Brio One’s Diana Afable-Lorenzo welcomed guests and took the time to show the brand’s wide range of nail polish shades and colors.

Inspired by the discoveries of ANNY experts Claudie and Ileana, this collection is expanded every six to eight weeks. The brand’s nail polish collection is fast-drying and long-lasting, provides excellent coverage and perfect gloss and goes on smoothly on the nails when applied.

Guests enjoyed the myriad of shades to color their tips and toes!