An astounding success
“The world is all gates, all opportunities—strings of tension waiting to be struck.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
Everything aligned on the day of our Red Charity Gala (RCG) 2024. Held at the Shangri-La at the Fort, our annual charity event was an astounding success with a record-breaking number of generous donors and sponsors present.
After our months of planning with RCG cochair Kaye Tiñga, event head Maggie Gineta, director Robby Carmona, stylist Noel Manapat and our featured designer Lulu Tan-Gan, the staging of the 13th annual RCG ran seamlessly, with almost all tables having exceptional views of the runway that was styled by Gino Gonzales.
Our major sponsor Bench was delighted to once again support this event, and we added Mentorque Productions, Angkas and Genteel Homes as major sponsors as well. Thanks to their generous support, we were able to cover the show production and make a sizable donation to all our beneficiaries.
Once again, RCG reached a new milestone as it managed to raise a total of P5.25 million for its beneficiaries while showcasing Tan-Gan’s “Farm-to-Fashion” philosophy that highlighted the ethereal beauty and versatility of the piña fabric.
The event was a celebration of Filipino fashion and heritage, as Tan-Gan showed the remarkable design possibilities of piña. Her collection also bridged the diverse heritage of Luzon through her use of the Kalinga print from the Ifugaos and the Mandaya print from Mindanao with the piña from Aklan.
Before the fashion show, an auction was held to raise funds for our beneficiaries, namely Hope for Lupus Foundation, Philippine Red Cross, and Assumption High School Batch 1981 Foundation.
To entice the guests to bid, the event’s entertainment included the melodic voices of Carla Guevara, Arman Ferrer, and Sheila Valderrama. My RCG partner Kaye Tinga requested for more homegrown Filipino songs to delight our guests.
For the after-party entertainment, we had DJ Cupcakes (Stephen Wee) and soprano Jade Riccio.
Live auction
The live auction, hosted by hardworking Tim Yap and yours truly, was very exciting and was actively participated in by the crowd.
The items for auction included beautiful art pieces from Ryan Villamael, Kim Oliveros, Catalina Africa, Carlo Tanseco, Bernardo Pacquing, and Angelito Antonio.
There was also a selection of luxurious vacation stays and trips from City of Dreams, The Upper House Hong Kong, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong, Kowloon Shangri-La Hong Kong, Shangri-La Singapore, Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul, and Cape Town, South Africa, trips from A2A Safaris, as well as Philippine Airlines’ business class trips to Hong Kong, and Emirates business class trips to any European destination.
The beautiful Bianca Manalo won the Heavens Portfolio’s Upper House hotel stay with Philippine Airlines business class tickets. Heavens Portfolio’s Gia Remulla and PAL CEO Capt. Stanley Ng presented the auction package to her.
For health and wellness, Centre Medicale Internationale auctioned off its Prime and Health Elite Package. In home and living, items that were auctioned included Uratex Senso Memory Frost Mattress and Crate & Barrel products.
Finally, for intricate jewelry pieces, Diagold auctioned off its Philomene 8.43-carat pair of diamond earrings, while Jewelmer auctioned off its exquisite 10-13 mm South Sea pearl necklace.
After an exciting bidding war, the Diagold jewelry was won by Agile Zamora, and we invited her to come up on stage for the awarding with Diagold owner Jennifer Viloria.
The Jewelmer necklace was won by Cory Navarro, and Jewelmer’s Marion Branellec De Guzman presented her the beautiful strand of pearls.
Launched in 2009, RCG has been a platform for many award-winning Filipino fashion designers to exhibit their best and latest fashion collections. Past featured designers were Dennis Lustico, Furne One, Michael Cinco, Cary Santiago, Ezra Santos, Jojie Lloren, Lesley Mobo, Chito Vijandre, Joey Samson, Rajo Laurel, and Ivarluski Aseron.
Key players
Special thanks to our key players, including fashion stylist Noel Manapat, scenographer Gino Gonzales, lighting designer Monino Duque, and Baguio-based designer Leo Aguinaldo, whose artworks added a beautiful touch to the set design.
Henri Calayag and his team were in charge of hair and makeup, while show direction was by Robby Carmona.
RCG 2024 also thanks the participation of its other partners: Tulsi Wellness Club, Botanist, Bruichladdich, Uratex, Usana, City of Dreams, Crate & Barrel, Vision Express, and our media partners Lifestyle Asia, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and Philippine Star.
Special thanks to Adworks Manila, Estée Lauder, F.A.B. Creatives, Fuentes Manila, Gardenia, Henri Calayag Salon, Mint College, Moss Manila, Robert Blancaflor Group, 18th.ph, Te Amo Floristeria, and Wilcon Home Depot.
The Gala is a wonderful affair of generosity, goodwill, and friendship. After years of partnership with our growing RCG family, we always look forward to the auction items, the collection of our featured designer, and the bits of drama here and there.
We were pleasantly surprised that Carlos Yulo, our country’s two-time Olympic gold medal champ, joined us that evening. He was the most wanted celebrity photo-op that night, and we are so happy that Dr. Aivee Teo brought him and other celebrities to fill her table.
At the end of the collection of Tan-Gan, we presented her floral bouquets from Te Amo Floristeria, and I pulled fashion designer Rhett Eala with Bench’s Ben Chan for a photo as a hint of things to come!
Cheers to all who have supported this wonderful Gala, and looking forward to even more generous donations next year!
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