Sunday, July 27, 2014

US envoy graces Fourth of July month-long party

US envoy graces Fourth of July month-long party



In Photo: The official toast led by US Ambassador H. E. Philip Goldberg (center) and Marriott Manila Executive Chef Meik Brammer, Guest Chef John Haves, Marriott Manila Director of F&B Brendan Mahoney and Marriott Manila Hotel Manager Anna Vergara


Guest Chef John Haves of Certified Angus Beef

IT was fun, food and flair as Marriott Hotel Manila launched its month long celebration of the Fourth of July with “All American All Good” at the Manila Ballroom.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg graced the occasion, along with other officials from the US Embassy. Guests wore red, white and blue as they treated themselves to a lavish feast prepared by Marriott Executive Chef Meik Brammer and guest chef John Havens, corporate chef of Certified Angus Beef. The buffet consisted of favorite all-American dishes, including tortillas with Texas chili, shrimp gumbo with homemade sausage; jambalaya; homemade corn bread with cheese and jalapeño; beef and pork spareribs with homemade barbecue sauce; mini beef sliders; and cupcakes. Also free-flowing were wines from Beringer, Jack Daniel’s whisky cocktails and Budweiser beer.

 

US Embassy's Air Attaché Colonel Brian Bell with Naval Attaché Victor Smith    

Happy Living's Katherine Yao Santos with US Embassy's First Secretary and Press Attaché Kurt Hoyer

It was not all food that night. There were also chocolate sculptures of Hollywood legends, like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. At the center of the ballroom, Harley-Davidson bikes and RJ guitars were also on display. Entertaining guests were performances by Spectacular, a group of acrobats and dancers courtesy of Resorts World Manila.



Marriott Manila Director of Convention Sales Joy Florentino, Marriott Manila Executive Chef-Meik Brammer, Marriott Manila Director of Communications Michelle Garcia, US Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Philip Goldberg, Marriott Manila Director of Marketing Cristina Carreon, Guest Chef John Havens and Marriott Manila Hotel Manager Anna Vergara
Marriott Manila Director of Communications Michelle Garcia and Resorts World Manila’s COO Steve Reilly



The BBQ Station featured beef and pork spareribs with homemade BBQ sauce


Exhilarating performances of SPECTACULAR - the acrobats and dancers courtesy of Resorts World Manila




Monday, July 21, 2014

Festive Bastille Day celebration




Festive Bastille Day celebration

Suzette Jessica with French Ambassador Gilles Garachon and Envoys & Expats editor Joseph Cortes
In Photo: Russian Ambassador Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev and Embassy of Argentina chargé d’affaires Monica Derregibus
DAYS before Typhoon Glenda blew into Manila, the French community in the country, led by French Ambassador Gilles Garachon, celebrated Bastille Day at the ambassador’s residence in Forbes Park on July 14.
French Embassy deputy chief of mission Hugues-Antoine Suin with Egyptian Embassy’s Yasmine Mahmood
German Ambassador Thomas Ossowski with Laurent Bedleem
Press Attaché Camille of the French Embassy, Marbee Go and Joseph Cortes
The French tricolor of red, white and blue greeted guests as they entered the venue. A huge photo wall with an image of the Eiffel Tower served as an apt photobooth for guests. As you moved into the garden, where the night’s speeches were given, you pass through an arrangement of Moet champagne bottles arranged into a stunning pyramid. There was an assortment of French breads, cheeses and spreads to whet the appetite of guests during the occasion.
The evening’s repast was a feast of French favorites, as catered by the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. Dessert included a stunning arrangement of macarons in red white and blue, stacked to resemble the Eiffel Tower. Likewise, a cake decorated with the French flag was also a crowd drawer.

Italian Embassy’s Commercial Attaché Antonio Macaluso with Lynda Olesen
Hoseki’s Knoi Esmane, Embassy of Mexico’s deputy chief of mission Christian Clay-Mendoza with Martin Lopez
Jamela Alindogan with French Embassy’s Denio Herrero
Garachon said that with the Bastille Day festivities, “We celebrate this event because it symbolizes our most precious values, which are the motto of the French Republic: the fight for liberty against tyranny, for the equality of all in the eyes of the law, and for the fraternity of mankind.”
Vive la France!






Sunday, July 13, 2014

Purisima, Malaysia’s Hanadzlah feted at luncheon



Purisima, Malaysia’s Hanadzlah feted at luncheon



In Photo: Bankers Association of the Philippines President Lorenzo Tan, R.G.  Manabat & Co.(RGM&Co.) Chairman and CEO Roberto G. Manabat, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, KPMG Asia-Pacific Chairman Tham Sai Choy, KPMG in Malaysia Managing Partner Johan Idris and RGM&Co. Vice Chairman and Head of Tax Emmanuel Bonoan
R.G. Manabat & Co. (RGM&Co.), the Philippine member firm of KPMG International, and the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) hosted a luncheon in honor of Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima and Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah recently at the Tower Club, Philamlife Tower, Makati City.
KPMG Asia Pacific Chairman Tham Sai Choy delivers his welcome address
Giving the opening remarks during the special luncheon were BAP President Lorenzo Tan and KPMG Asia-Pacific Chairman Tham Sai Choy.
Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah talks about “Financial Stability in the ASEAN Economic Community”
Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah then gave a talk on “Financial Stability in the Asean Economic Community” wherein he noted the Association of Southeast Nation’s (Asean) strong growth ahead of other regions but cautioned that economic integration will have to take into consideration the different levels of economic development of the member-countries. He further explained the need for Asean states to examine the regulatory policies of their financial sector in order to support the region’s economic integration since the financial stability of the Asean region provides many opportunities for the banking sector. Hanadzlah continued to express his optimism by saying “If Asean will prosper, then all of us will benefit from the prosperity.”

Citi Country Officer for the Philippines Batara Sianturi and Meralco President and CEO Oscar Reyes
In attendance during the event were Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares, RGM&Co. Chairman and CEO Roberto Manabat and RGM&Co. Vice Chairman and Head of Tax Emmanuel Bonoan. Also present were Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Chairman Jose Pardo, PSE President Hans Sicat, US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank Robert Orr, Bank of the Philippine Island President Cezar Consing, Development Bank of the Philippines President and CEO Gil A. Buenaventura, PBCom President and CEO Nina Aguas, Union Bank of the Philippines Chairman and CEO Justo Ortiz, Australia and New Zealand CFO Anton Laquindanum, Bank of America Country Manager and COO Henry Pelaez, Bangkok Bank VP and Branch Manager Dutsadee Khemapunmanut, Bank of China Managing Director Zeng Jun, Citi Country Officer for the Philippines Batara Sianturi, Deutsche Bank AG Managing Director for Global Markets and Chief Country Officer Enrico Cruz, ING Bank N.V. Managing Director Consuelo Garcia, JPMorgan Chase Bank Senior Country Officer Roberto Panlilio, International Commercial Bank of China General Manager and Country Manager Roger Rong-Hwa Lin, Mizuho Bank Ltd. Manila Branch GM Masato Tsunoda, Mizuho Bank Ltd. Manila Branch, DoubleDragon Properties Corp. Chairman and CEO Edgar Sia II, and Cargill Philippines Inc. President Philip Soliven. The KPMG Asean senior partners, namely, KPMG in Indonesia Managing Partner Tohana Widjaja and KPMG in Malaysia Managing Partner Johan Idris, were likewise present.

PBCom President and CEO Nina Aguas, Deutsche Bank AG Managing Director for Global Markets and Chief Country Officer Enrico Cruz and KPMG Singapore’s Head of Financial Services Advisory Andrew Tinney

KPMG Asia Pacific Chairman Tham Sai Choy, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, RGM&Co. Vice Chairman and Head of Tax Emmanuel Bonoan and RGM&Co. Chairman and CEO Roberto G. Manabat