It’s been a while since we set foot in Marriott. Michelle Garcia, the lovely Director of Marketing Communications of Marriott Manila, used to invite us all the time back in the days for her many events. Then bigla nalang, kaput. </3
It took a relationship with Kap’s long-time friend for us to get back on her good graces haha. So ngayon, balik social climbing na naman ako, and stronger than ever. ;))
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Marriott Manila boasts of having the LARGEST ballroom in the Philippines. Marriott Manila’s magnificent Grand Ballroom has a seating capacity of 3,800! That’s a big number for the Red Charity Gala to fill, but fill it they did! \m/
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When Ariel came over for Kap’s simple birthday celebration at home a few weeks ago, nagkakwuentuhan sila and he invited us to tag along & sit with them at Mitch’s table for the Red Charity Gala. Of course this got me soooo happy & excited that I immediately commissioned a thank you gift for our kind hostess, Ariel’s lady love..
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Beautiful earrings by FARAH ABU. <3 I saw this on a friend & immediately sought out the talented designer. I hope Mitch likes my present. You can read more about Farah Abu HERE. Or visit her Facebook / Instagram pages to order. A pair of hand-made earrings costs php 5.5k and up (plus delivery fee).
Elvira (left) wore this beautiful work of art to Kap’s tennis dinner party that when I saw it, I fell hopelessly & madly in love. <3 Will ask Farah (right) to also make one for me It normally takes 2 weeks to fashion a piece but I asked her to rush mine in time for the event. To order, contact her in the details I posted above, or just message Farah directly in her instagram account.
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The RED CHARITY GALA is an annual benefit charity fashion event co-founded by the flamboyant Sea Princess, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, that highlights the creativity of Filipino fashion designers. On it’s 10th year, the gala has brought and showcased Filipino fashion artistry with the goal and purpose of raising funds for the projects of the Philippine National Red Cross (from which the name of the gala, RED, was pegged) and Assumption High School batch 1981 Foundation.
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TPV & Kaye Tinga spearheaded the Red Charity Gala 10 years ago and year after year, their sponsors seem to get bigger & bolder. This year, this dynamic duo was able to tap (apart from its major sponsors: Bench, Globe Platinum, Sun Life Financial, Megaworld, Jewelmer & Ultherapy) Lucerne who donated a handsome Omega planet ocean watch, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Uratex who donated a Bernhardt Jet Set bed frame with mattress, Volkswagen (retro refrigerator), Viking Range, Diagold, Jewelmer, JMA, Jul B. Dizon & Royal Gem. The rest were leading hotels & resorts nationwide which gave away staycation packages.
For 2018, the Red Charity Gala on it’s 10th year, chose Marriott Manila as its partner. Marriott Grand Ballroom aims to put Manila on the map as a coveted MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) destination. Part of the hotel’s expansion plans was the opening of the West Wing in December 2016. This added 228 premium rooms and suites, giving Marriott Manila a total of 570 guest rooms & raised the hotel’s room categories to nine, as the West Wing offers premium rooms, a deluxe one-bedroom suite, the 212-sqm Presidential Suite, and its biggest, the 260-sqm Chairman Suite.
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Auctioned items from generous sponsors are, of course, the highlight of the gala. CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL ITEMS. The most expensive item up for grabs that night was a Balesin Island Gold Membership worth 2.5M which went for a discounted price of 1.8 Million! Balesin, Alphaland Corporation’s flagship project, is a 500-hectare tropical island paradise with 7.3 kilometers of pristine white-sand beaches. The membership was donated by the island’s owner himself, Mr. Roberto Ongpin.
The least expensive physical items (which I still can’t even afford) were the beautiful & unique Jul Dizon‘s LUZVIMINDA SIMBOLO jewelries with biddings starting at php 20,000.00 (of course the event being a charity gala, you can imagine the auction going as high as the heavens above & definitely cost more than the retail price). I was drooling the whole time the jewelries were showcased huhu. Yan pa naman ang hilig ko.
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If you will notice, Tim Yap was looking at me directly at first, but diverted his attention to Ariel & Mitch when he saw that Kap was panicking lol. I was fanning myself with the auction paddle kasi nga #menopausalhits #menopausalheats . When Kap saw Tim approaching us he panicked & grabbed the paddle away from me! ;)) As in sinunggaban at tinago!
Kap: BITIWAN MO YAN BITIWAN MO YAN. TUMIGIL KA MAGPAYPAY AKALA NYA NAG-BI-BID KA! AKIN NA AKIN NA! #stresssachest
Ayan tuloy, si Ariel ang namutla. Buti nalang he was saved by another bidder HAHAHAHA!
Most generous benefactor of the night was Gov. Chavit Singson who donated a hefty 1M to charity for the exclusive & elusive, limited edition Remy Martin Louis XIII, with a retail price of P140k. The audience, and even the hosts Tim Yap & Tessa Valdes, went gaga! 😉
When in Marriott, expect nothing but the best when it comes to food. Marriott prides itself in Cru Steahouse‘s delectably juicy steaks, so naturally, the main course was a plump & juicy Beef Barbacoa (US Angus beef tenderloin).
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One table reportedly costs a whopping 150k, that’s 15k/person! @_@ But all in the name of charity naman.
Marriott Manila offers an extensive range of food for your pleasure: Savor hand-cut, perfectly prepared steaks, as well as freshly prepared salads and delectable desserts at CRU Steakhouse. Enjoy the convenience of all-day dining at Marriott Cafe for a delectable buffet experience. Sample authentic Chinese cuisine by visiting Man Ho. Meet colleagues or other guests for a light meal at the Greatroom found at the lobby. Sample exquisite teas or whiskies at Still, located within the newly constructed West Wing. Enjoy even more Chinese cuisine and pan-Asian noodle dishes at Mian, a modern restaurant and noodle bar. Start your work day or vacation in Manila with a hot beverage at this upscale coffee house, Crema. And last but not the least, treat yourself to a hot, brick-oven pizza wherever you are in the hotel by Gourmet Express.
The carefully thought-out 4 course dinner menu of seared scallops, chicken binakol, beef tenderloin, and salted egg cheesecake were the highlight of MY evening. 😉
My lovely table mates, Dr. Kaycee Reyes of LUMINISCE, and the very pregnant but oh so blooming lady, Michelle Garcia.
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In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Red Charity Gala, co-chairs Kaye Tinga and Tessa Valdes mounted what was probably their biggest charitable gala featuring the 100-piece collection of fashion designer Rajo Laurel. The evening also celebrated his 25 years in the industry.
The collection is entitled ARCHIPELAGO, an essay on defining contemporary Philippine style. Seeking to find the meaning of what the Filipino is, the collection is Rajo’s meaningful exposition as he explores our very own textiles, shape, colors and forms.
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“Archipelago” stays true to its name with Rajo’s artistic representation of the Philippine islands splashed on some of his unique creations (see below).
(L) Mayon from the “Mapa” series. This pattern took inspiration from the seismic movement of the Mayon Volcano. Rajo individually hand-painted the details, while his artisans did the embellishments and beading, incorporating 3D embroidery. (M) Tuguegarao. Rajo envisioned the beautiful, lush landscape of the province of Tuguegarao through this dress. He stenciled the map on a silk base using 75,000 crystal beads and sequins that required 3,000 hours of hand embroidery. (R) Taal. Rajo re-imagined the volcanic seismic movement of Taal in this ensemble. The hand-painted dress took 4 months to make!
In RAJO XXV, Rajo used modern indigenous materials, all sourced from the different provinces of the Philippines, and is featured in 75% of the collection.
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After the event, Kap told me: “Sweetheart, lakas ng kaba ko kanina. Huling charity event na natin ito ha? Pinagbigyan lang kita ngayon, ayaw ko na sa susunod!” ;))
Thank you so much Mitch & Ariel for a FUN-tabulous night, my first ever charity ball. <3 It was most certainly a night to remember! Sa uulitin please hehe!
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And congratulations on your soon-to-arrive baby boy. <3 Cheers to second chances at love & finding your happy ever after.
Lootbags galore! \m/
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Finally, I’m so glad we got to meet, my dearest tukayo JANE GATCHALIAN! :-* How I wish we had more time to chat! Let’s double date soon please with my Kap & your William. <3 I’m sure we’ll have SO MANY THINGS to talk about hahaha. Palagay agad ang loob ko sayo eh.
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Thank you Jane & William for coming to our table and saying “HI”! :-* here’s to the start of a new friendship.
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