Monday, March 10, 2008 Neri: Around town By Nelia G. Neri eve
THE Philippines Foundation Inc. (PFI) will honor Valuable Filipinos with the Perlas Awards on Wednesday, Mar. 12, at SM Theater One, at 5:30 p.m. Awardees include the Sisters of Mary, Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, Dr. Fe Necessario, Mr. Patricio Damaolao, Consul Roberto Aboitiz, and Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano. PFI is headed by its president, Father Ernesto Javier, SJ.
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Ongoing at Cebu Grand Hotel till Mar. 22 is the first solo exhibition of Merlie Roa, titled “Deepest Pit of Emotions.” Merlie creates one-of-a-kind artworks through the integration of design patterns and bounded corkboard. She is a self-supporting Fine Arts student at University of the Philppines College Cebu and works as a jewelry designer at A. Suarez Sterling Corp.
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Ocean Pavilion of Shangri-La was the setting of the despedida party in honor of outgoing Shangri-La GM Tim Wright who is off to an assignment in Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok. It was also an occasion to welcome the resort’s new GM, Raymond Bragg. Tim’s friends (and that includes me) will surely miss him and his lovely wife Mona. God speed to you both and your boys, and here’s a warm hello to Raymond. We hope to get to know you better in the days to come.
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“New Beginnings” was how Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. (HSBC) dubbed the post-Chinese New Year’s party it hosted at the Mactan Ballroom of Shangri-La for its clients and friends. Man of the hour was HSBC CEO Mark Watkinson who led in the dancing when RJ Jacinto and his band came up with rollicking dance tunes. A fun party with the guests garbed in Chinese attire!
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Women in Literary Arts (Wila) chose the theme “Gugma in the Leap Year” for its February gathering because 2008 is a leap year. It is said that during the leap year, women have the prerogative to pursue love instead of just wait around for the man to make the first move. The post-Valentine dinner show at Casa Gorordo Museum found the Wila ladies reading their own poems on love and love pursuits.
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The dancing inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) continues to attract attention and draw crowds from people coming from all walks of life. When we were there one afternoon, we saw foreign and local tourists, students, teachers, retirees and even Rep. Pablo Garcia and Judge (ret.) Esperanza Garcia enjoying their presentation. It is amazing how consultant Byron Garcia was able to motivate the inmates, and have them trained for a very disciplined performance which has now caught the attention of the world.
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It was an easy and interesting afternoon at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu when the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) gathered people from Cebu’s travel trade for a product presentation of Amazing Thailand. In town for the seminar were TAT executive director-Asean Prakit Piriyakiet, director Porntip Makornpan and TAT marketing rep in the Phil. Dave de Jesus.
Members of the visiting team included representatives from Siam Niramit, Siam Ocean World, Siam City Hotel, Rose Garden and Thai Airways who all gave tempting updates on their products. Yes, Thailand definitely beckons!
