Manila Hotel gives back this Christmas

MANILA, Philippines - In the spirit of Christmas, Manila Hotel gives its guests the opportunity to give a gift and help the kids of the House of Refuge Foundation Inc.

Manila Hotel is offering Nutcracker Cookie Jars wherein proceeds from the sale will be donated to the House of Refuge.

The kids of the House of Refuge were treated to exciting games and activities during the hotel’s Christmas tree lighting and The Nutcracker Christmas theme launch recently.

“The Manila Hotel maintains its commitment in helping underprivileged communities. With this project, we hope to share the joys of the season to the children of the House of Refuge,” says Manila Hotel executive vice president Enrique Yap Jr.

The House of Refuge helps abandoned and orphaned children in Metro Manila. It has three major programs: residential care, legal adoption, and independent living for older children.



Every monetary and in-kind support received by the House of Refuge will greatly help in the education, health, and other basic needs of the children.


Since its inception, the House of Refuge has served more than 1,000 children. It currently cares for 36 children aged four to 17.

“It’s really an honor that Manila Hotel chose House of Refuge Foundation Inc. to be the beneficiary of the Nutcracker Cookie Jar. Your contribution, be it small or big, will greatly make a difference in the lives of all the precious children in our care,” says Glady Bunao, directress of the House of Refuge.

There are only 500 limited edition cookie jars available at the Delicatessen for P1,500 net. For reservations, call 527-0011.

source: philstar.com

Manila Hotel: A grand old dame turns 100

“If it’s a good story, it’s like Manila Hotel.”
—Ernest Hemingway

MANILA HOTEL, fondly called the “grand old dame,” was bedecked in her finest Thursday night as she celebrated her 100th birthday, looking even more brilliant and feeling optimistic about her future.

About 800 guests in formal Filipiniana attire, including President Benigno S. Aquino III, came and helped the venerable and much-loved hotel celebrate its birthday in a grand in a grand celebration dubbed the ”Centennial Ball” at a huge tent on the premises..

Cocktails were served at 6 p.m. before a short audio-visual history of the institution was presented and projected on the wall of the hotel. Declared a national historical landmark in February 1997, the hotel has attracted VIPs such as Gen. Douglas MacArthur (where a suite is named after him), Hollywood celebrities such as Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., and boxing legends like Muhammad Ali, to name a few.

Guests were served at a sit-down dinner starting with wild mushroom consommé with truffle custard, accompanied with Casa Lapostolle, Chardonnay; Southern Spiny Lobster and Apple Salad with Celery and Crisp bacon, tarragon, and sherry vinaigrette (with Cuvee Alexandre Lapostolle, Chardonnay); a passion fruit sorbet as palate cleanser; with the main course of Oven-roasted sea bass with brown butter and tomato fondue, potato and a bell pepper frittata with spicy sausage (Casa Lapostolle, Merlot); and for dessert, a Lemongrass mousse on coconut-chocolate joconde cake, pineapple compote, and ginger crème Anglaise as well as chocolate pralines with either coffee or tea.

Addressing President Aquino, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, and Manila Hotel Chairman Dr. Emilio T. Yap, hotel director and executive vice president Enrique Y. Yap, Jr. said by way of introducing the AVP: “Exactly 100 years ago, the doors of Manila Hotel were opened to welcome guests who chose to live the good life. It was also the beginning of the long and rich history of the hotel. Great men and women have stayed here, while others chose to stay a bit longer. So many stories have been told, but certainly, more interesting stories are yet to be known.”

Yap Jr. was recently accorded an Outstanding Manilan 2012 Award by the city of Manila, for hotel management and tourism. “He is young, dynamic, and has over the past two years, implemented so many changes in the hotel,” said hotel senior vice president Georgina C. Banaag in an interview. “Service has improved tremendously because the hotel got busier, we are sprucing up for the Centennial this year, and our function rooms will be renovated next,” she added.

The Yap family was awarded the hotel in 1997 after a rather contentious bidding process in 1995 that pitted Don Emilio with Renong Berhad of Malaysia. But the family has since poured billions in investments to refurbish the rooms and renovate the hotel, attracting a new and even younger clientele.

It has a new pool and garden area, a health club, a relaxing spa run by a concessionaire, a spanking Executive Center, the MacArthur Lounge, an Events and Celebrations Area, the Sampaguita Hall, the Cafe Ilang-Ilang, which has been modernized and now serves an interactive buffet; and the Mabuhay Palace, which serves excellent Chinese cuisine.

In his speech, Atty. Jose Lina, hotel president, told guests: “As the custodian of one of the country’s national landmarks, it is our duty to ensure that the next 100 years will be as bright, as momentous, as the hotel’s storied past. For the past four years, Manila Hotel has worked very hard to create the perfect balance between tradition and innovation. Every renovation and refurbishment we have undertaken is part of our commitment to bring Manila Hotel to the future.

“And although its glorious past is at the Manila Hotel’s very core, our identity itself is shaped by our determination to continuously reinvent ourselves in order to meet the dynamic demands of our modern guests. We see every year as another chance to exceed our past achievements, an opportunity to set even higher standards for ourselves.”

VIPs spotted at the event included Sen. Eduardo Angara, GSIS president Robert Vergara, appliance king Sammy Lim, insurance leader Peter Coyiuto, and a host of local actors and celebrities.

While President Aquino didn’t make any speech during the event, unlike the 99th anniversary of the hotel last year, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda released a message congratulating the hotel’s stakeholders on the institution’s 100th anniversary. “Over the past century, Manila Hotel has truly become a bastion of Filipino heritage, culture, and history: from the numerous historical events to which it has been a witness, to the hundreds of thousands of guests it has hosted in its rooms.

“Our congratulations also to Don Emilio Yap and his family, to Gov. Joey Lina, Jr., and to the management and staff of this establishment. We are certain that Manila Hotel will continue to be a pillar of the hotel industry, and that it will continue to leave its mark on our history.”

source: interaksyon.com

Miss World Philippines official candidates presented; Arci Muñoz withdraws

Even as she laments the sudden withdrawal of TV5 princess Arci Muñoz from the Miss World Philippines 2012 competition, pageant director Cory Quirino is still excited about the 25 official candidates who made the final cut.

During the formal presentation of the final 25 at the Manila Hotel Thursday afternoon, Quirino revealed that Arci had joined the pageant without the network’s knowledge.

“She actually made it to the Top 25 but when I found out that she has a live contract with TV5, I told her and her mom that she cannot fulfill her obligations to Miss World Philippines because of her contract with the network,” revealed the president and CEO of Miss World Philippines franchise holder CQ Global Quest. “Even her manager, Annabelle Rama, told her na hindi talaga puwede.”

Quirino stressed that TV5 did not want to stop Arci from pursuing her dream of becoming a beauty queen. It was Arci’s decision to ultimately back out of the pageant after the young actress realized she still had commitments to the network that she needs to honor first.

“But I told her she can join again next year. I can see from her eyes that she really wanted to win Miss World Philippines,” Quirino said.

That aside, Quirino said she has high hopes about this year’s batch of official candidates which just might include the country’s very first Miss World title-holder in the 61-year history of the oldest major international pageant.

“The closest we ever came to the title was in 1973 when Evangeline Pascual won first runner up and then last year when Gwendoline Ruais was adjudged as 1st Princess,” she pointed out.

Along with Ruais and her Miss World Philippines 2011 court, Quirino had selected the candidates during a rigorous final screening that included competitions in casualwear, swimsuit and evening wear plus a brief question and answer portion.

Quirino and Ruais describe the final 25 as “a diverse mix of morena, mestiza and exotic beauties who are all very smart.”

This year’s official candidates are Brenna Cassandra Gamboa (22, from Laurel, Batangas); April Love Jordan (23, from Tondo, Manila); Rufaida Babudin (20, from Palawan); Marie Loraine Dione de Guzman (24, from Sta. Mesa, Manila); Kaye Michelle Agnes (24, from Sorsogon, Bicol);

Kaye Wigand (19, from Puerto Galera, Mindoro); Vanessa Claudine Ammann (23, from Lapu-Lapu City); Roshiela Tungol (24, from Angeles City, Pampanga); Mariz Ong (20, from Echague, Isabela); Carla Jenina Lizardo (22, from Bagong Ilog, Pasig City);
Vania Valiry Vispo (24, from Pasig City); Paulina Eliseeff (20, from Quezon City); Mary Anne Ross Misa (23, from Paranaque City); Mariver Ocampo (19, from Paombong, Bulacan); Daphne Tania Molinaar (17, from Bacolod City);

Paula Rich Bartolome (21, from Sta. Cruz, Laguna); Maria Teresita Baccay (21, from Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija); Maham Ahmed (17, from San Carlos City, Pangasinan); Rizzini Alexis Gomez (21, from Cordova City, Cebu); Larah Grace Lacap (18, from Batasan Hills, Quezon City);

Fer Mary Baliquig (20, from Tagbilaran, Bohol); Queeneerich Rehman (23, from Las Pinas City); Lara Lee Sarino (21, from Negros Occidental), Natacha Kristel Peugniez (17, from Muntinlupa City) and Maria Danna Javier (19, from Malabon City).

“It was not an easy task selecting the final 25 and it was a collective decision on the panel’s part and not just Ms. Cory after we all consulted each other,” Ruais added.

A closer look at the official candidates revealed that many of them have already won in beauty pageants staged in their respective localities while others have either joined or have won in other national pageants.

There’s Carla Jenina Lizardo who was Mutya ng Pilipinas Intecontinental in 2010. Fer Mary Baliquig was an official candidate of the recent Bb Pilipinas 2012. Brenna Cassandra Gamboa was a contestant in Miss Philippines Earth 2011 where she even won Best In Long Gown.

April Love Jordan is described in her Facebook fan page as “a seasoned beauty queen” who participated and did well in the Mutya, Miss Philippines Earth and Bb Pilipinas tiffs in the past in addition to winning in international pageants like the Miss International Beauty and Model Festival held in China in 2009.

And then there’s recent Miss Lions Mutya Rufaida Babudin who, Quirino said, came straight from a tribe in Palawan. Babudin, an exotic type in the Venus Raj mold, got some of the loudest applause among the candidates and was even cited by Quirino during the open forum with the press as one who does not speak Tagalog and English well but is very deserving to be in the pageant.

The Miss World Philippines 2012 Coronation Night will be aired live on TV5 on June 24 at the Manila Hotel and will be hosted by “Game ‘N’ Go” host Edu Manzano and former Miss World 2nd Princess Ruffa Gutierrez.

source: interaksyon.com