By JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
From public servants to business leaders, to doctors, philanthropists and entertainers – PeopleAsia’s “Women of Style & Substance” awardees for 2019 most certainly arrived in style during a power lunch held recently in their honor by Swiss luxury brand Charriol and its Philippine partner, Store Specialists Inc., Group.
Held at the elegant Flame restaurant of the Discovery Primea in Makati City, the three-course power lunch became the perfect venue for the women to get to know each other and share their experiences before appearing on PeopleAsia’s August-September 2019 double-cover issue.
Among those present during the lunch were Sen. Pia Cayetano, who leads this year’s roster of awardees after finishing fourth in the 2019 mid-term elections with around 20 million votes. She is joined by Makati Mayor Abby Binay, who has led the Makati City government to receive the highest achievable audit rating of an “unqualified opinion” from the Commission on Audit; and veteran broadcast journalist Pia Hontiveros, CNN Philippines’ chief correspondent and anchor of “News Night.”
Also present for the lunch was Che Uy, treasurer of the Udenna Corp. and the woman behind the group’s multitude of CSR projects; businesswoman and philanthropist Small Laude, whose Timson Securities Inc. is a member of the Philippine Stock Exchange; Andrea Domingo, a former Bureau of Immigration Chief and current chairman of PAGCOR; Ginbee Go, the president of BPI Family Savings Bank, who has led a number of innovations such as the launch of EMV-compliant credit cards; and Chaye Cabal Revilla, PLDT’s SVP and Group Controller and Smart’s chief finance officer, who was named “CFO of the Year” for the Telecoms sector by CMO Asia at the Philippine Leadership Awards.
Rounding up the list of awardees present were Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, the 28 year-old Chairman of the country’s “Build, Build, Build” Committee; restaurateur Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, the woman behind The Happy Concept Group and restaurants such as Bento Box and World Topps; fashion blogger extraordinaire Laureen Uy; Dr. Rebecca Singson, who pioneered robotic surgery in the Philippines; Dr. Jennie Diaz, CEO and medical director of Skin 101; and Moira dela Torre, the 25 year-old singer songwriter, known for being the most streamed Filipino artist on Spotify Philippines, and a former judge of the hit TV show, Idol Philippines.
Also included in this year’s “Women of Style & Substance” list is Carmen Jimenez-Ong, an entrepreneur and high-end developer who is the founder and CEO of Menarco Development Corp.
Now on its fourth year, the PeopleAsia X Charriol Power Lunch is an annual event that celebrates the coming together of the country’s brightest female minds. Joining the ladies for the intimate affair were PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez, Charriol’s regional training manager Alexander Jentes, The SSI Groups’ marketing communications head Mitch Hernandez-Suarez, merchandising group manager Luzanne Manlapit, Charriol Philippines merchandise manager Shirene Abel-Macapinlac and PeopleAsia’s managing editor Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz.
PeopleAsia’s “Women of Style & Substance” Awardees are featured in the magazine’s latest edition, which is now available in leading bookstores and newsstands nationwide. For more information, text Bong at 0922 8776556. / Photos by Maica Frances Maglipon
