A bash for Splash

The Splash group launched the Splash Pharmaceutical Corporation through a bash held at The Fort. The cosmetics company lived up to its reputation of being an innovator with the corporation’s products under the flagship brands Theraherb, Accuherb and LiveMore. Guests were able to sample some of these products during the event, which witnessed the birth of this company that is "powered by nature and inspired by science."

Top chef Jessie Sincioco prepared an excellent dinner and for dessert, she topped the ice cream with the Theraherb Virgin Coconut Oil – the first flavored coconut oil in the market. Various flavors such as banana, corn and jack fruit froze were on top of the ice cream to give it an additional "kick." A soothing concoction of dilaw, banaba and bitter lemon tea called Sugarite was also served as an after dinner drink.

Splash chairman and CEO Dr. Rolando Hortaleza, together with vice chairman and CFO Dr. Rosalinda Hortaleza and Splash Pharmaceutical COO Jessin Soriano led the toast to what they call "the dawn of the nutraceuticals era in the Philippines."

"Our brands of nutraceuticals bring traditional herbal medicines several notches higher with the infusion of science-based research and development. We enter this arena not only with more than two decades of experience and achievements, but also with a firm grasp on what future demands and the structure to respond to them locally and globally," said Dr. Rolando Hortaleza. Splash Corporation, the makers of mega brands Extraderm, Maxipeel, Skin White and Biolink, celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

Seen at the event were Mercury Drug’s Cora Lim and Jack Concepcion, Watson’s Andrew Denby, Ria Perez, Margareth Go, Susan Loyola, Tom Banguis, Dave Guerrero, National Power Corporation president Cyril del Callar, Sandro Rieta, Freddie and Cora Antonio, Annette Coronel, Patty Betita, Vivian Velez with husband Sam Groskopf, Jean Saburit, Peachie Veneracion, Ruby Tuason, Susan Grau, Taimy Cruz, Becky Garcia, Annette Ablan, Malou de Guzman, Romina Urra Gonzales, Allure’s Philip Cu-Unjieng and top publicist "off-the-shoulder" Louie Cruz.

Broadway performances by the husband and wife team and Miss Saigon veterans Isay Alvarez and Robert Seña made it a truly unforgettable evening.

A night of a-press-ciation

The annual Media Appreciation Party organized by the four properties of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Philippines was held at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La as members of the press were treated to an evening of great food and music. 

Tropical Chillout Nights was the theme as refreshing dalandan margaritas were served to guests upon entrance to the venue. Rhythms by DJ Elbert Cuenca, Latin and Samba performance of Nyko Maca and acoustic melodies from Paulo Santos entertained everyone. 

The food stations spread around were remarkable. There was the salmon and salad station for starters (where salmon roe and caviar with cream cheese were served); the Shanghai station for authentic Cantonese cuisine; a delectable Spanish tapa action station; a Ceviche station on ice carving, a satay and risotto station (with those wonderful seared Japanese scallops with truffle oil); and a delightfully overwhelming dessert station, where people could literally have experienced "death by chocolate!"

Edsa Shangri-La was represented by GM John Rice, director of sales and marketing Benedict Lim, director of communications Neil Rumbaoa and his assistants Angel Javier and Lorna Martin.  Makati Shangri-La GM Jarlath Lynch led his team with director of sales and marketing Lourdes Juco, director of sales Cecile Weber, director of events Bingbing Lingao, director of communications Joy Wassmer and her assistants Mai Mislang, Bianca Donato and Stacey Villanueva. 

Traders Hotel, Manila was made up of GM Henry Lee, director of sales and marketing Jopy Lopez, communications manager Lourdes Arrieta and assistant Christian Canda. 

From Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa were GM Timothy Wright, director of communications Sharon Samarista and her assistant Jaja Chiongbian. The Shangri-La Team was headed by the remarkable chairman of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Tom Zita. 

It certainly was a fun evening of games, raffle prizes and terrific people. Shangri-La definitely goes all out in thanking their cherished media partners.

Other members of the press seen at the event were STAR writers Philip Cu-Unjieng, Claude Tayag with wife Mary Ann, NBC’s Ria Romero, Raoul Chee Kee, Tessa Mauricio, Ricky Gallardo, Irene Martel Francisco, Anton San Diego, Ethel Timbol, Dolly Dy, Maurice Arcache, Mia Borromeo, Marichelle Ligon, Raul Manzano, Glenna Aquino and Nelia Neri.

A tale of two potters

Artists-potters Pete Cortes and Pablo Capati held a joint exhibit called A Potter’s View at the famed lifestyle merchandise store Borders. Their latest creations consisted of pots, jars and bowls in both classical and non-traditional shapes and sizes, which were both aesthetically beautiful and functional.

A slide presentation showed an overview of the pottery process, which in this day of mass production is becoming an arcane form of art.

Cortes is a graduate of interior design from the University of Sto. Tomas and the Philippine School of Interior Design. He had a career as a furniture designer in the USA, Indonesia and the Philippines and learned pottery-making at the Pettyjohn-Mendoza Pottery School, where he now teaches.

Capati studied pottery in Japan and went to the University of Southern California-LA. Five years ago, he bought a potter’s wheel and returned to his old love of creating pottery.

The large turnout and enthusiastic response for the exhibit has drawn a commitment from Alice Cruz, Borders’ owner and manager, to feature other artists/potters in the future.

(Borders is located at 2291 Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati, 893-2905/893-2908.)

V Bar will soon become...

V Bar is what became of popular bar Venezia when it was closed for renovation after five years. V Bar celebrated its third anniversary and was closed for another renovation last week. What will become of it?

Louie Ysmael said, "I’m going to bring that sacred spot back to the basic, so you figure it out." The yet unnamed new bar/club is slated to open mid-November and will be designed by top architect and interior designer Anton Mendoza. He describes the interiors to be "Venezia Carnavale visits Manila."

The anniversary was, as usual, filled with people celebrating the third year of a bar that has been an institution in Manila night life. The loyal V (or Venezia) patrons had loads of fun and are definitely in for a surprise when the new bar opens.

Project 12.12

Stores Specialists, Inc. hosted the media launch of The Lacoste 12.12 Project at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel participated in by artists like National Artists Napoleon Abueva and Arturo Luz, HSBC CEO Warner Manning, architect Francisco Mañosa, Silk Cocoon designer Jean Goulborn and Tony awardee Lea Salonga.

Other participants for the 12.12 project include sportsmen Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Efren "Bata" Reyes, photographer Jun de Leon, interior designer Anton Mendoza, fashion designers Inno Sotto, Hindy Tantoco and Josie Natori, sculptor Impy Pilapil, publisher Sandy Romualdez, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Kuok Group of Companies country head Tom Zita Jr. and Jaime Zobel de Ayala.

Their personalized 12.12 creations will be displayed at the Lacoste Greenbelt 3 boutique from Oct. 16 to 27 and are open for bidding by interested customers. The exhibit will be moved to the Lobby Lounge of Makati Shangri-La Hotel on Oct. 27 for the final silent auction wherein Philippe Lacoste will be present. Proceeds of the auction will go to support the purchase of new instruments for the country’s national orchestra ensemble, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

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