Celebrations of legacy and friendship
“Friendship marks a life more deeply than love.” – Elie Wiesel
With hard work and passion, Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) continues its leadership in the country’s social foundation and protection of democracy. This year, PDI celebrates 40 years of telling powerful stories in print and digital platforms. With its unified goal to deliver balanced news and fearless views, this paper is at the forefront of progressive change in all sectors of private and public service. At the simple yet meaningful celebration, PDI’s Sandy Prieto-Romualdez and Paolo Prieto shared insightful words of gratitude and talked about future plans for the coming year.
As part of the Lifestyle Section, I am looking forward to working with my editor Ria Prieto to feature interesting topics and inspiring personalities. We enjoyed a lunch meeting at Morton’s The Steakhouse in BGC with other girlfriends who joined us for their birthdays as well. December-born friends Salome Uy and Happy Ongpauco-Tiu were delighted to have a very long lunch as we caught up with each other’s updates.
Sharing is caring
Between all the festive celebrations, I attended the birthday dinner of Tatler editor Anton San Diego at the beautiful home of Sheila Romero. Together with Agnes Huibonhoa, Sheila prepared a wonderful menu that everyone enjoyed. It was also in celebration of Pops Fernandez’s birthday who turns a year wiser with her first grandchild.
A week later, Sheila invited me to the launch of the newest collection of Genteelhome, a local furniture atelier renowned for its sustainable and bespoke creations. To deepen its commitment to community-building through long-term corporate social responsibility programs, the brand focuses on a different community in need, transforming its craftsmanship into meaningful initiatives that offer comfort and support where they are needed most.
In partnership with Sheila’s program—the I Want to Share Foundation (IWTS), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting pediatric cancer patients—Genteelhome recently launched “Crafted with Kindness: Cancer Care,” a program through which the brand will design and craft purpose-built furniture made from reclaimed materials for the Bone Marrow Transplant wing of the Philippine General Hospital. Each piece will be thoughtfully tailored to meet the unique needs of young cancer warriors and their caregivers.
As part of this initiative, Genteelhome is creating loose furniture that brings both warmth and functionality to the space, including lounge chairs, side tables, and movable desks with wheels, pieces designed to make the environment more supportive, restful, and comforting for everyone who uses it
Genteelhome is not just about the furniture—it’s about the memories created, the process of building each piece, and the lives intertwined with our craft,” said Genteelhome founder Katrina De Leon.
“Genteelhome is known for handcrafted, bespoke furniture that blends modern design with intention. Every piece they created for the Bone Marrow Transplant wing was made with care and designed to adapt beautifully to its users,” said Romero, founder and chair of IWTS. She expressed her gratitude for the partnership, noting that this collaboration marks a significant and meaningful step forward for the community. This partnership establishes the Philippines’ first charity-funded Bone Marrow Transplant wing, a legacy project of IWTS.
Twice the fun
My busy December also includes the unveiling of Benetton’s Fall/Winter Collection and second year of the brand in the Philippines.
Guests enjoyed Italian-inspired dishes served on Casa Benetton dinnerware, adding a playful touch that reflected the brand’s signature creativity.
The occasion coincides with the launch of Benetton’s global Fall/Winter 2025 campaign, created in collaboration with Italian digital artist Rick Dick, a pioneer in using artificial intelligence as a creative tool. The campaign marks an exciting step in Benetton’s evolution, introducing new ways to express its inclusive and authentic identity.
Alongside the collection, Benetton Philippines also introduced the Benetton luggage line, Casa Benetton home pieces, Benetton eyewear, and Benetton perfume, inviting customers to experience the brand’s colorful world beyond clothing.
In the long run
Another company celebrating a milestone is HCG Philippines as they celebrate 30 years in the country. Wilcon Depot received a special recognition at the event at Solaire Grand Ballroom, commemorating the companies’ longstanding brand partnership that plays a vital role in strengthening the Philippine home improvement industry.
Influential guests and industry partners arrived in elegant traditional Filipino baro’t saya ensembles—an homage to the event’s theme, “Rooted in Heritage, Shaped by Innovation.”
Even prior to HCG inaugurating its local manufacturing facility, the Belo family of Wilcon Depot believed in the brand’s potential. Wilcon supported HCG’s locally produced solutions—an early act of trust that contributed significantly to HCG’s strong foundation today.
HCG chair Patrick Chiu and HCG board member Scott Chiu shared heartfelt remarks of gratitude. They expressed deep reverence and tribute to the people, business associates, and communities that have been instrumental to HCG’s growth over the past three decades.
HCG Philippines president Eugene Lin also delivered a visionary address, introducing the brand’s forward-looking roadmap. He reaffirmed HCG’s commitment to delivering world-class home solutions for many more years and announced the launch of new product lines designed to meet evolving customer needs.
Wilcon Depot’s continued support for HCG reflects their shared dedication to innovation and their commitment to providing high-quality home improvement solutions to Filipino households.
Displays from different organizations like these give us a glimpse of how passion—whether in print, inclusive fashion, and meaningful furniture or bathroom solutions—can take us quite far in life.
