January 2007 - Titas de Bacolod

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Behind The Scenes - January 18, 2007 : A grand wedding in the north

Behind The Scenes - January 18, 2007 : A grand wedding in the north
Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon when two hearts became one. This was a union of two prominent families from the north. Maricel Orceo Acuña, daughter of Pepe and Minda Acuña of Victorias City, said "I do", to Jun Senen Hinlo Javelosa, son of Mrs. Totong Hinlo Javelosa of Manapla and Victorias. The bride looked absolutely luminous in her elegant wedding gown, while the nervous groom looked handsome in his barong as he waited for her at the famous Church of the Angry Christ at the VMC Compound.

Principal sponsors are Gov. Joseph Marañon (who was represented by Toto Salado), the relatives of the bride: Mayor Vero Palanca, BM Gary Acuña, Vice Mayor Wantan Palanca, Ray Bantug and relatives of the groom from Victorias and Sagay, JV Hinlo, Gilbert Hollero, Berning Javelosa, Elwin Javelosa and Ben Siana. The female principal sponsors in their eye-catching classy gowns were Femy Octaviano, Anet Acuña Antonio, Suzzette Bantug, Jo An Lo Henares, Ninfa and Nena Hinlo, Epin Javelosa Regalado, Cirila Amahit, Azucena de Ramos and Lina Manaloto Lim. Vice Governor Isidro Zayco was one of the couple's specials guests.

Guests were delighted at the unique rustic setting of the wedding reception which was held at the fabulous Toreno garden and fishpond owned by Remedios Bantug, who was there to welcome the visitors. There couldn't have been a more charming hacienda setting for the romantic wedding reception as the guests enjoyed the sumptuous feast under the giant trees with a cool breeze blowing gently around them. The glittering lights decorating the trees cast a special glow adding to the dreamy ambiance. The party ended with an awesome fireworks display while the guests enjoyed dancing until the wee hours.*



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Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod


Related Posts:


To see Imelda at the food court without the pomp and splendor normally attached to her wherever she goes brought up a myriad of emotions. I felt a bit sad seeing this. It reminded me of my Mama's last days. But I quickly snapped out of that sadness because I was reminded of the incident two years ago ......Read More




It has been 29 years since they were chased from the palace. Amid a stream of discoveries regarding the unexplained wealth, more than 70,000 imprisoned, poverty level at 42% and thousands tortured and “salvaged”. ......Read More







Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986.  Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days.  For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More



Thursday, January 11, 2007

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Behind The Scenes - January 11, 2007 : Isn't she lovely?

Behind The Scenes - January 11, 2007 : Isn't she lovely?
Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

It's the season of endless parties! The invitations just kept pouring in, creating havoc on our already expanding figure. Omigosh, how did we ever survive it?

One of the loveliest outdoor garden parties we have been to recently, was the Christmas dinner hosted by our dear friends Perla and Bernard Koehn at their classy, newly-renovated residence. Bernard was the picture of a charming host as he greeted the guests at the entrance. Tall and dusky Perla welcomed us with her stylish elegance and grace. This was an international party filled with their fellow expats from the UK, Australia, France, Yugoslavia, Hongkong and the USA.

The tables were laid out with top-of-the-line silverware and China, complementing the fabulous cuisine which everyone savored with gusto. The guests were in a party mood in no time as wine flowed all evening. The after-dinner conversation was brilliant and scintillating as delightful raconteur Boy Montilla, had us all in stitches with his outrageous stories and jokes. Perla and Bernard's dinner parties are always so delightful and this was no exception. What a beautiful evening it was!

* * *

Boy Montilla hosted his own holiday dinner party at his turn-of-the-century ancestral home few nights later. As we walked into the foyer, we were greeted by the sounds of music from the second floor! Msgr. Gigi Gaston had brought with him the evening's entertainment - a romantic balladeer named Charles Tan, whose singing style reminded one of Josh Groban or Frank Sinatra. The guests settled down with their glasses of red wine and scrumptious canapés as the romantic mood of the love songs filled the air.

After the mini-concert, we all were pampered with Boy's excellent dinner, specially prepared for the occasion. Sounds of laughter filled the air as jet-setter Edouard Garcia regaled us with his funny stories and comments. It was a most enjoyable evening of good food, vivacious guests and enchanting entertainment. A lovely time was had by all!*



---------------------







Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod


Related Posts:


To see Imelda at the food court without the pomp and splendor normally attached to her wherever she goes brought up a myriad of emotions. I felt a bit sad seeing this. It reminded me of my Mama's last days. But I quickly snapped out of that sadness because I was reminded of the incident two years ago ......Read More




It has been 29 years since they were chased from the palace. Amid a stream of discoveries regarding the unexplained wealth, more than 70,000 imprisoned, poverty level at 42% and thousands tortured and “salvaged”. ......Read More







Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986.  Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days.  For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More



Thursday, January 4, 2007

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Behind The Scenes - January 4, 2007 : Parties, parties, parties galore!

Behind The Scenes - January 4, 2007 : Parties, parties, parties galore!
Behind the Scenes with Ivy Visitacion

It's the season of endless parties! The invitations just kept pouring in, creating havoc on our already expanding figure. Omigosh, how did we ever survive it?

One of the loveliest outdoor garden parties we have been to recently, was the Christmas dinner hosted by our dear friends Perla and Bernard Koehn at their classy, newly-renovated residence. Bernard was the picture of a charming host as he greeted the guests at the entrance. Tall and dusky Perla welcomed us with her stylish elegance and grace. This was an international party filled with their fellow expats from the UK, Australia, France, Yugoslavia, Hongkong and the USA.

The tables were laid out with top-of-the-line silverware and China, complementing the fabulous cuisine which everyone savored with gusto. The guests were in a party mood in no time as wine flowed all evening. The after-dinner conversation was brilliant and scintillating as delightful raconteur Boy Montilla, had us all in stitches with his outrageous stories and jokes. Perla and Bernard's dinner parties are always so delightful and this was no exception. What a beautiful evening it was!

* * *

Boy Montilla hosted his own holiday dinner party at his turn-of-the-century ancestral home few nights later. As we walked into the foyer, we were greeted by the sounds of music from the second floor! Msgr. Gigi Gaston had brought with him the evening's entertainment - a romantic balladeer named Charles Tan, whose singing style reminded one of Josh Groban or Frank Sinatra. The guests settled down with their glasses of red wine and scrumptious canapés as the romantic mood of the love songs filled the air.

After the mini-concert, we all were pampered with Boy's excellent dinner, specially prepared for the occasion. Sounds of laughter filled the air as jet-setter Edouard Garcia regaled us with his funny stories and comments. It was a most enjoyable evening of good food, vivacious guests and enchanting entertainment. A lovely time was had by all!*



---------------------







Follow me on Twitter @TitasdeBacolod


Related Posts:


To see Imelda at the food court without the pomp and splendor normally attached to her wherever she goes brought up a myriad of emotions. I felt a bit sad seeing this. It reminded me of my Mama's last days. But I quickly snapped out of that sadness because I was reminded of the incident two years ago ......Read More




It has been 29 years since they were chased from the palace. Amid a stream of discoveries regarding the unexplained wealth, more than 70,000 imprisoned, poverty level at 42% and thousands tortured and “salvaged”. ......Read More







Negros Island was in a woeful state at the eve of the snap elections in 1986.  Negros as a word was synonymous to "Crisis" in those days.  For the longest time, the sugar industry, romanticized by the well-heeled landowners of Negros and Iloilo, was the prima donna of Philippine ......Read More



Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Crowns and chandeliers

Crowns and chandeliers

From Edouard L. Garcia's Sweet and Sour in the Visayan Daily Star

 

 

This holiday season, the French capital of Paris was full of crowns and chandeliers decorating stores, restaurants and clubs…as if Paris never had enough of chandeliers! But the royale combination of crowns and chandeliers was never more apparent than this season of Christmas.

Coming into Bacolod for the holidays was New York-based Hinobaan Princess Conchita "Chita" Reyes whose Melanie Griffith voice and Marie Helvin classic face has been missed sorely in this city's social scene.

Footloose and fancy free, she has several suitors in the Big Apple but has chosen single blessedness, which she has missed for several decades. She devotes most of her free time now to ballet, taekwondo and yoga classes. With her impish laughter and her graceful gait, I doubt if Chita can stay single for long… However, choosing between a crown and a chandelier pose, she obviously took the crown.

Sisters-two Pangging and Panee Rosales sailed into town also for the holiday season. These local Hilton girls are the most fun-loving and sweetest from Iloilo. Busy making loads of money in their real-estate and pharmaceutical businesses, they bombed into the Bacolod night scene and came out unscathed and triumphant with several hearts thumping for their constant crystal-clear laughter. Pangging chose a regal chandelier pose while Panee took a bunch of crowns for her calendar pose. Here's hoping to see more of these gals on this side of the Guimaras Strait. Making sure that no brute gets in their way was Iloilo's social arbiter Nonoy Ybiernas and bon vivant Bob Jarder.

I'm still dreamy-eyed from my trip to Paris last November where I finally entered the new Paris Opera de la Bastille! For starters, I took in two operas--"L'amour des trois oranges" by Serguei Prokofiev and "Der Rosenkavalier" by Richard Strauss. Of course I took the most expensive seats, since IT IS OPERA! And I wasn't disappointed.

The crowd was trés elegant and this new edifice built by the man behind Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Berger, is surely one of the best theatres built at the end of the last century. The interiors are in matte minimalist black with the stage curtain split by a single silver stripe. The balcony and boxes are highlighted by Klein blue fluorescent lights.

Of course, everyone races to the bar for the intermissions where only champagne pops for the select few as cashmere and sable drip onto the floor, dragged by the most lithe and nimble bodied socialites as their gallant escorts carry the evening's programs, whispering the next act's important scene into their perfumed ears. I love Paris in the fall when the ballet and opera seasons start. It is the height of sophistication and luxury which no other world capital could ever equal! You must experience it once in your life.

MY PRAYER

May my choice of priorities this year be pleasing to You, my God-as pleasing as Jesus' offering.* 

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