Of Debs and Rotarians

By the time this piece comes out, the grand "Vienna Opera Ball and Presentation of Debutantes" will have been held at Le Pavilion Metropolitan Park. The affair, initiated by the Johann Strauss Society in 1999, is patterned after Vienna’s magnificent soirees of the imperial age.

Then, as now, the debutantes went through a rigorous screening for the "international social event of the first magnitude". At a tea graciously hosted by art patron Chito Madrigal Collantes, advisor of the JSS, guests were delighted to discover that the local debutantes–long-limbed and pretty in the Oriental manner–matched their counterparts anywhere else in the world.

Forthwith, the following debutantes were the focus of the attention at the ball: Samantha Ayson, 16; Juna Rebekah Cadungog, 16; Maria Victoria Corpus, 22; Paula Garcia, 18; Deborah How, 19; Mary Clare Lambino, 18; Jaqueline Michelle Lim, 19; Nicole Maria Mueller, 17; Sabrina Gretchen Salgado, 18 and Krista Marie Victorio, 16.

Austrians Siegfried Schellander choreographed the waltzes and Ernest Hoetzl conducted the PPO and accompanied tenor Frankie Aseniero, soprano Agnes Barredo and the Philippine Ballet Theater. Nonoy Lopez provided ballroom dance music.

Mandarin Oriental GM Helmut Gaisberger, Wolfgang Harwalik, advisers Chito Madrigal Collantes, Irmgard Krepela and Ulrike da Silva, Alice Guerrero, Mellie Ablaza and Chit Gohu, and not the least, Mandarin’s Charisse Chuidian worked mightily for the success of the ball, proceeds of which go to Hospice Care headed by Dr. Mita Pardo de Tavera.

Charity, directed specifically to the Chosen Children Village managed by Bob and Lita Fullerton, was likewise the thrust of the Makati West Rotary-sponsored exhibition of eminent painter Valeria Cavestany at Mandarin’s Tivoli Room. By the title, "After the Flowers" Valeria conveys her passion for flowers, so exquisitely translated. This "passion" was so appreciated that according to past president and cultural chairman Carmelino P. Alvendia (my source of information), Rotarians bought all except four of the original 19 which Valeria donated. Carmelino expects a sell-out soon! First Daughter Luli Arroyo, assisted by Rotary president Lito Jimenez, Gov. Romeo Cruz, Mandarin F&B manager cut the ribbon as the other Rotarians applauded, among them past governors Guillermo Tumagan and Jun Tambunting, Ernie Fajardo, Freddie Wienecke and Larry Ocampo. Also my lovely talented colleague Joanne Rae Ramirez, former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, journalists Frank Evaristo, Glenn Gale, and yes, young Rotarians Bobby Lim (a brilliant lawyer), Bong Madrigal and Jay Tambunting, Jun’s son. Communica-tions director Charisse G. Chuidian worked mightily behind the scenes.

I was thoroughly overwhelmed by Miss Arroyo’s escorting me to my car after I had waited for it at the hotel entrance. "You must have been taught to be kind to ‘old’ people," I told Luli. She quickly replied, "My grandma taught me to be kind to people."