Most Admired Filipino-created wine raised P16.8 Million for disaster victims

CEBU, Philippines – With over 215 awards from 14 different countries, Manny O. Wines signature line stands as a monument to Filipino passion and ingenuity. It is a collection of seven award-winning signature wines produced in France, Spain, and Portugal.

The man behind this globally-admired wine brand is the Cebu-based hotelier and wine lover, Manny Osmeña, popularly known as Manny O., whose current passion includes improving the health of people who have been affected by disasters.

After witnessing the devastation of Typhoon Yolanda and seeing the need for immediate care in disaster situations, Manny O. channeled the same enthusiasm for wine towards the creation of Hope Now Philippines in order to help address the lack of immediate medical services and resources in disaster zones. It is Manny O.’s twin passion for wine and for helping disaster victims that set the stage for the first charity wine auction in the country to feature a Filipino-created French Bordeaux wine.

The Bibulus ‘07  Charity Auction held at Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu on September 12 last year raised a total of P16.8 million for Hope Now Philippines, whose initial project is to launch a fleet of all-terrain mobile hospitals, dubbed as “Hospital on Wheels” (HOW),  to disaster zones.

No less than the world’s top-ranked wine auctioneer, John Kapon, CEO of Acker Merrall and Condit, came to Cebu for the occasion. Kapon runs the world’s largest fine and rare wine auction house and is a third generation wine merchant and America’s oldest wine shop. He has recently released his first book, “The Compendium: Tasting the World’s Finest Wines-Volume 1,” in which he narrates the inside story of some of the world’s best wines and most historic wine events ever held.

The two most expensive bottles in the auction block were specially numbered (8 and 88) and calligraphy-adorned bottles of  Manny O. Bibulus ’07, which were sold at Php 1.2 Million to Gregory De’eb, President of Crown Cellars HongKong, and Php 1.1 Million to a generous gentleman. The special edition inscription on the bottle was created by Gail Anne Madalag, a top-notched calligrapher from Bacolod. Each wine bottle also came with a display stand that was designed and crafted by celebrity furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

Hope Now Philippine’s pilot project, “Hospital on Wheels” (HOW), envisions the adoption of a “zero-day” medical response in the wake of a disaster or mass casualty emergency. The goal of HOW is  to deploy quickly and operate a fully functioning mobile medical facility, manned by highly trained, credentialed, health professionals and volunteers, in the disaster zone within 24-48 hours of the disaster. A full range of emergency medical services will be made available on-site to disaster victims.