It was a rare occasion that gathered many of Manila’s women who matter. Brilliant women. Beautiful women. For me, every woman who does something meaningful to make a difference in other people’s lives is beautiful.
The host, Town & Country Philippines, honored “Wonder Women, the country’s most inspiring and remarkable women.” I have not recently seen such an event where both honorees and guests themselves were wonder women.
Among the Wonder Women present were Vice President Leni Robredo, Tony Award-winning performer Lea Salonga, Asia’s best female chef Margarita Fores, National Book Store founder Socorro Ramos and her granddaughter Xandra Ramos-Padilla, Teach for Philippines founder Lizzie Zobel, CNN Philippines president Armie Bennett, gallerist Isa Lorenzo, and MoveEd’s Alex Madrigal Eduque.
Was it the venue — the Champagne Room of the historic Manila Hotel — that was a magnet for Manila’s genteel breed of women? Bettina Osmeña, one of my favorite women who matter, said: “It was a nostalgic visit to our favorite date place in the ‘80s — still beautiful after all these years.”
Manila Hotel president Joey Lina, who sat across from me, would surely have smiled if he had heard that. And so would Manila Bulletin’s lovable Emil Yap, seated just a few tables away.
You need respected power women — wonder women themselves — to put together such an event. On top of Town & Country is editor in chief Yvette Fernandez, who for many years was our New York-based broadcast journalist on Bloomberg. She is the author of Summit Media’s collectible series of biographies addressed to young people, but these have such an appeal even to oldies like me who enjoy them. Yvette was also a Young STAR columnist for the Philippine STAR together with Ivan Ramos while they were studying in the US.
Alicia Colby Sy, T&C’s executive editor, is a lifestyle maven whose refined and impeccable taste is well known in Manila. And of course, there is Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, Summit Media president, the creative force behind leading lifestyle magazines and books, who is so humble she sometimes prefers to be invisible.
At the brunch consisting of old-school favorites like prawns flambé, beef Chateaubriand and Baked Alaska, Yvette explained: “Today, we celebrate smart, strong and accomplished Filipino women — Wonder Women who have excelled in their chosen fields and who are helping our nation move forward. Even if smart and strong women are belittled or referred to as ‘nasty’ in other parts of the world, in the Philippines, they are celebrated.”
It was an honor and a thrill to be seated beside one of the Wonder Women, VP Leni Robredo, who effortlessly charmed our tablemates, and not just with her smile. On a typical day, this workaholic is on the go and deep into projects for 10 to 12 hours.
Does she ever feel her late husband Jessie’s presence? “I know he is there with us in the form of a brown butterfly. During the most difficult and crucial times — such as when I had to decide whether to run or not as VP — the brown butterfly was always with me and my children,” she told us.
The T&C event also launched its November 2016 issue with Maria Parsons on the cover, and the mag’s newest address, townandcountry.ph. The event was supported by Aston Martin, Kultura, Neal’s Yard and two of my favorite brands at Rustan’s, Annick Goutal and Perricone MD.
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Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook@milletmartinezmananquil. Email her at mananquilmillet@gmail.com. LIFE & STYLE Millet M. Mananquil