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Thursday, July 01, 2004
Magsaysay: Seaside mosques, fresh-shucked oysters
By Jo Magsaysay
Whatever
Who is he? I asked Mary Faelnar Abad when she called for lunch at the Marriott. A designer from Manila she tells me. Oh no! Not another fashion designer after having just had a gay lunch with the best of them at the presscon in Waterfront for the Bridal Fair this weekend.
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No fashion designer he, but undeniably a laudable interior designer, Cocoy Cordoba, who is making waves in the metropolis for his imaginative creativity. A spectacular splash in the vast ocean that is Manila’s world of artistic talents was Cocoy’s formal entry as architect cum decorator cum laude. His Mosque de Cordoba, which is not quite in Manila but a couple of hours drive to Peninsula de Punta Feugo in Nasugbu, Batangas is a veritable temple for the adoration of beauty with its domed roof, carved arches and balustrades, carpeted tiles and down below hill, a breathtaking view of a green peninsula with a slender connecting isthmus. Like something out of the Arabian nights, Le Mezquita is home to Cocoy, his exquisitely elfin wife, Tammie and their 9-year-old daughter, Mimay, already budding into a gorgeous beauty. Christened Jose Luis but best known and best loved as Cocoy, has the deep-set dark eyes, swarthy skin and chiseled features of a Moroccan-Castillan, but is a Cebuano at heart. His mother is Cristina Conejero, whom, once upon a time I knew as a wide-eyed little girl taking piano lessons, along with sister Rosita and big brother Mario, a sensitive virtuoso that I recall, with music teacher, the late Angeling Obiña. Cousin to Anna, nephew to Freddie, nephew to Chelo, Cocoy comes down to Cebu ever so often to shop for furniture for his clients. Tammie nee Martinez is practically a Cebuano having grown up, studied and worked here, in a stint with Mayen Tan for The Freeman.
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Housewarming of Le Mezquita de Cordoba had all the colorful trappings of a Moroccan fantasy: maroon, indigo and orange throw pillows for squat-on dining, billowing tents, titillating come-with-me-to-the-casbah graphic paintings, hookah water pipes, Moroccan necklaces and 22-carat gold paperweights carved in Italy for give-aways, fortune tellers, fire-eaters and exotic belly dancers recommended by the Moroccan and Egyptian Embassies in Manila and for a theatrical touch an Arabian knight in a black stallion brandishing a blazing torch to light up the huge cauldrons on the domed roof.
A guest list that included cosmopolitan socialites and celebrities like Rupert Jacinto, Ambassador Theo Arnald, Ado Escudero, Ping Valencia, Fanny Serraro, Donnie Ramirez, Gilbert Perez, Myrna Borromeo, Becky Garcia, Ramon Arnaiz, and Beng Tesoro, Johann Chiongbian and Cebu’s own Bob Zozobrado, Michel and Amparito Lhuillier who won a Bali hammock for best costume along with Wanda Louwallien and Fuego’s GM Ignacio Ganderias as best belly dancers. Small world after all when Lulu Aboitiz showed up with Tona Ortiz and Maricris Teves.
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Still a small world after Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines, Peter Sutherland compared the size of Canada (immense) to the Philippines (small); the population (small in Canada, huge in the Philippines); the climate (extremely hot and extremely cold in Canada, dry hot and wet hot in the Philippines); colonization history (French and British in Canada, Spain and America in the Philippines); food specialty (oysters in Canada, balut in the Philippines); form of government, language trade elections and so on down the line of comparative similarities and differences (Vive le difference!) but the bottom line is the people, Canadians and Filipinos wanting to help other people, they care, we care and that’s what it’s all about, people caring and reaching out to one another. The ambassador’s lady, Jo-Lynn Sutherland is one such lovely person, nice and charming, reaching out to welcome their guests celebrating Canada Day, making sure the Fanny Bay oysters were constantly replenished; as fast as the trays of oysters, big fat succulent, were carried in they were instantly demolished and disappeared. The oysters were only teasers to the Culinary Canadiana 2004 at the Café Uno of the Waterfont from June 25 to July 11 featuring Alberta beef, ice wine, maple brulee, Canadian bacon and other taste treats.
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Women of Empowerment, Mila Espina was quick to dub them, no doubt as impressed as I was in the company of these ladies of outstanding achievements during the Canadian cocktails. Mina Gabor whose credentials are long… chairwoman of the Gabor Group of Companies, trustee of De La Salle Univeristy, College of St. Benilde, Charter President of Rotary Club of Pasay, Maharlika, consultant of the United Nations International Trade Center of the World, Tourism Organization of the Pasay City Chamber of Commerce, chairwoman of the Philippine-Canada Business Council, of the Ecotourism Society of the Musika Filipina Foundation & president of the International Women’s Forum… her track record as Secretary of Tourism, awesome, Ms. Gabor is a fascinating personality conversant in any subject from overseas workers to public toilets and certainly, she bids fair for a repeat performance as Tourism Secretary in this new administration.
Masterful in her own field, Esther Velasquez, president of the Cebu Normal University the second time around, elevating the institution to the top-ranking educational establishments, its college of nursing second to UP, fully-accredited in several countries, years of teaching experience including an eight-year stint as teacher in Sacred Heart School proudly claiming several business executives as her former students, Ms. Velasquez is a likely candidate for Secretary of Education.
Heading the HRRAC, the city commission on tourism at one time or another, Jessica Avila, pioneer restaurateur is presently in a tizzy coordinating the enormous catering task for the banquet celebrating the oathtaking of president-elect Arroyo. Just about the only person I know who can tell Bobit Avila to shut up, Jessica is just great! Echoing Vice Mayor Mike Rama’s toast, cheers to the Canadians! Mabuhay to the Filipinos! I add another toast to these formidable ladies, more power!
(July 1, 2004 issue)
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