Ambassador Benny Tantoco’s Christmas wish

Amidst the various Christmas settings at the Rustan’s Department Store on Ayala Avenue stood 94-year-old Bienvenido Tantoco, the country’s former envoy to the Vatican and founder of the Rustan’s group.

He walked briskly around the store and his eyes lit up every time his children and grandchildren greeted him. When I had the chance, I asked him what his Christmas wish is.

Without a second thought, without further prodding, he replied, “I already have so much. I have nothing more to wish for.”

He was happily married to the late Glecy Rustia Tantoco, with whom he co-founded Rustan’s. According to his granddaughter Rica Lopez-de Jesus, Lolo Benny now has 21 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren.

* * *

Indeed, “Lolo Benny” has been blessed not only with years in his life, but life in his years. He started working at age 16 as a movie house usher after his father passed away, sometimes taking on 15-hour shifts. He worked for his uncle Don Ernesto Rufino while pursuing his studies at Jose Rizal University. When he was eventually promoted, he quit his job to concentrate on the business he started with his wife Glecy.

He told PeopleAsia magazine, “My uncle’s reaction was an interesting part of the beginnings of Rustan’s because he said to me: ‘Aren’t you taking a big risk in giving up a good-paying job for an enterprise that may not last?’ I agreed with him that it was a risk, but a risk I had to take. He then gave me his complete blessings, and even kept my job vacant for a long time in case things didn’t work out and I had to return.”

Fast forward to 2015 and Don Ernesto Rufino’s granddaughter Tessa Prieto-Valdes hosted the program ushering in the Christmas holidays in Rustan’s at which Lolo Benny was present.

During the group photo with “Santa Claus,” Nedy Tantoco, Rustan’s present chairman invited  her to join and Tessa said, “Family only.”

To which Nedy countered, “But you are family!”

* * *

Rustan’s Makati evokes all the feel-good feelings of a happy Christmas. There is a tableaux of the traditional trimmings of Christmas — candy canes, giant stockings and charming little snowmen. There is a winter wonderland tableaux complete with the glow of blue ice. There is an Into the Woods Christmas theme that evokes the scent of pine trees with pinecones and mistletoe and lots of greens. My favorite is the dazzling white and bright Christmas with frosted, snowy décor and glass Christmas balls that dazzle with the reflected glow from Tivoli lights.

Christmas is a spiritual celebration, a cherished family tradition and a personal happy time that I think the good Lord won’t begrudge us.

When ‘Heneral Luna’ met ‘Cleopatra’

Designer Ito Curata’s parties are as fabulous and attention-getting as his creations. Never minimal, muted or subdued, Ito’s clothes are always red-carpet worthy while his parties are always Hollywood-esque.

His recent birthday-cum-Halloween party brought together the stars and the movers and shakers from eras BC and AD, from real and reel, from Divisoria to Disney. BC there were Cleopatra (actually, there were two, Ann Puno and Mayenne Carmona) and Mark Anthony (lawyer Rene Puno); AD there were Maleficent (Tess Schoefer), Morticia Addams (Becky Garcia) and Marie Antoinette (Len Olbes). From real there were Heneral Antonio Luna (who else but John Arcilla?) and Pope Francis (Bob Miller) and from reel was Cruella de Vil (Renee Ann Puno) of 101 Dalmatians. There was a geisha (Valerie Sotto) and a leggy chambermaid (Malu Francisco). There was a peacock woman who stole the show with her feathers (Suzette Lopez). The celebrator was a Dragon Man.

One guest, Jem of Jem and the Holograms (Sheree Chua) told Heneral Luna (John Arcilla): “My, but you really look like Heneral Luna!” And John, who essayed the role of the hot-tempered but brilliant Antonio Luna in the movie,  almost drew his sword!

Ito turned his beautiful manor into a haunted house, and a concrete winged angel (the type you see in old cemeteries) on a bed of white flowers and flickering candles welcomed guests. A lady in a blood-streaked white veil stood on the landing of the stairs.

But if you expected the dinner table to be groaning with skulls and bones — you were in for a pleasant treat. There was a sign that read: BOO-ffet! The boo-ffet included turkey and chicken relleno, Thai crabcakes and chicken skewers and paella. Nothing bloody at all!

This was one BOO that deserved a lot of cheers!

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].) Halloween photos courtesy of ITO CURATA