Diplomatic community joins hands in Yolanda benefit show

Diplomatic community joins hands in Yolanda benefit show

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Category: Envoys & Expats

28 Jun 2014

Written by Suzette Jessica

In Photo: Spouses of Heads of Mission President Evelyn Farounbi, International Bazaar Foundation Chairman Gretchen del Rosario, Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Austria Consul General Washington Sycip, World of Music Chairman Monaco Consul General Fortune Aleta Ledesma and New World Hotel General Manager Farid Schoucair

EIGHT months after the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda, assistance in the form of financial and material aid continues to pour into the affected areas in Eastern and Central Visayas. Members of the diplomatic community in the country held recently a benefit concert to raise funds to help the victims of Yolanda. Funds raised during the concert, called We Are the World will be used in the rehabilitation of a hospital in Leyte.

The concert, held at the Grand Ballroom of the New World Makati Hotel early this month, saw 500 guests from Manila’s crème de la crème feasted on gastronomic treats before treated to lavish song-and-dance performances staged by the members of the diplomatic community.

New World Hotel General Manager Farid Schoucair, Washington Sycip,  IBF Chairman Mme Gretchen Del Rosario, Monaco Consul General and “World of Music” Chairperson Fortune Aleta  Ledesma with Ms Loida Lewis

Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, IBF Chairperson Mme Gretchen Del Rosario, Consul General of France Christian Hue and Gambia Consul Agnes Huibonhoa

Bangladesh Ambassador John Gomes, Ambassador of Chile Roberto Mayorga and Ms Mayorga, Mme Dinh Thi Thu Huong and Ambassador Troun Trieu Huong of Vietnam

Ambassador Lee Hyuk of Korea, Mme Stephanie Muellner, IBF Chairman Mme Gretchen Del Rosario, Amb Josef Muellner of Austria, Monaco Consul General Fortune and “World of Music” Chairperson Aleta Ledesma and Amb Mahmoud Mostafa Ahmed of Egypt

Among the ambassadors and spouses who sang and joined the performances on stage were Ambassador Josef Mueller of Austria and his wife Stephanie, Ambassador John Gomes of Bangladesh, Ambassador Mahmoud Mostafa Ahmed of Egypt, Ambassador Guy Ledoux of the European Union and his wife Margaret, Ambassador Gilles Garachon of France and his wife Isabelle, Ambassador Constantina Koliou of Greece, Ambassador Thomas Ossowski of Germany, Ziki Ralte, spouse of Ambassador L.D. Ralte of India, Ambassador Menashe Bar-on of Israel and his wife Eti, Ambassador Lee Hyuk of South Korea and his wife Won Wha-Soon, Ambassador Julio Camarena Villaseñor of Mexico, Ambassador Akinyemi Farounbi of Nigeria and his wife Evelyn, Ambassador Hayat Safdar of Pakistan, Ambassador Agnes Nyamande-Pitso of South Africa, Ambassador Ivo Sieber of Switzerland, Ambassador Juvencio de Jesus Martins of Timor Leste, Ambassador Troun Trieu Duong Huong of Vietnam and his wife Dinh Thi Thu Huong.

 Mme Isabel le Garachon of France, Alice Guerrero and Mme Eti Bar-on of Israel

 Amb Agnes  Nyamande Pitso of South Africa, Mme Evelyn Farounbi of Israel, Mme Ziki Ralte of India, and Mme Margaret Ledoux of the European Union

Ambassador Constantina Koliou of Greece, Ambassador Esra Cankorur of Turkey, Mme Stephanie Muellner of Austria, Mme Isabelle Garachon of France,  Ambassador Eti Bar-on of Israel and Mme Dinh Thi Huong of Vietnam

Ambassador Mahmoud Mostafa Ahmed of Egypt, Ambassador Constantina Koliou of Greece, Ambassador Thomas Ossowski of Germany and Ambassador Esra Cankorur of Turkey

Mme Sandra Prasasvinitchai  of Thailand, Mme Wha Soon of Korea, Mme Ziki Ralte of India, Mme Margaret Ledoux of European Union, Argentine Charge d’Affaires Monica Deregibus, Ambassador Tuot Panha of Cambodia and Ambassador Agnes Nyamande Pitso of South Africa

Joining them in the performances were Austrian Honorary Consul General Washington Sycip and World of Music Event Chairman Monaco Consul General Fortune Ledesma.

IBF Chairperson Mme Gretchen Del Rosario and Monaco Consul General and “World of Music” Chairperson Fortune Aleta Ledesma

International Bazaar Foundation (IBF) Chairman Grechen V. del Rosario, spouse of Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, led the evening’s celebration.

Monaco Consul General and “World of Music” Chairperson Fortune Aleta Ledesma, Secretary Albert Del Rosario of the Department of Foreign Affairs and IBF Chairman Mme Gretchen Del Rosario

Secretary Albert del Rosario commended the courageous, dedicated and resourceful Missionary Benedictine Sisters of the Divine Word Hospital for helping, saving and uplifting the lives of families in the typhoon-devastated areas of Tacloban.

Apart from the ambassadors, other world-class Filipino performers shared their talents in the benefit concert. They included soprano Rachelle Gerodias, violinist Jay Cayuca, tenor Jonathan Badon, singers Jed Madela, Jacqui Magno, Ding Mercado, Pat Castillo and Eugene Villaluz, and the stars from World Championships of Performing Arts Raymond Sajor, Rhap Salazar, Marielle Mamaclay, Queen Mia and Lady Onnagan

We Are the World was jointly organized by the IBF and the Spouses of Heads of Mission (SHOM).

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