“A news item caught my eye; it said that a storm was going to hit Luzon tonight, and I immediately texted our managing editor Paolo Dela Cruz. And I told Paolo, please pray for good weather tonight. And in a heartbeat, he texted back, ‘Don’t worry, Joanne — we will be the storm tonight.'”
This powerful statement from PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez kicked off the Women of Style and Substance 2016 Awards Night — an evening dedicated to women who are the thunder and lightning, the clouds of influence in their own fields.
(PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez delivers her speech)
The red carpet led to Alabang as PeopleAsia recognized its “Women of Style and Substance†2016 awardees at the Grand Ballroom of the Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila on Sept. 26, 2016. Now on its 11th year, the glitzy affair honored exceptional women who embody excellence through their works in business, public service, entertainment and other fields.
Leading the list of awardees at the event were PeopleAsia’s cover girls for its August-September 2016 issue: Miss Universe Philippines Maxine Medina; and Bb. Pilipinas International 2016 Kylie Verzosa; as well as Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat of Rustan’s and Sta. Elena Properties, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo of makeup brand Happy Skin; and beauty entrepreneur Nikki Tang of DMark Beauty and DermaAsia Corp.
The magazine also broke tradition by honoring Bataan First District Rep. Geraldine Roman, the first transgender woman on the list. As PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez put it, “she achieved greater heights by being true to herself.â€
(FROM LEFT: Presentor Secretary of the Department of Tourism Wanda Teo, Women of Style and Substance awardees Sheree Chua, Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat, Kaye Zorrilla-Gamboa, Patricia Bunye-Rojas, Ann Ong, Rep. Geraldine Roman, Maxine Medina, Kylie Verzosa, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, Christine Dayrit, Maureen Disini-Teichert, Tita Trillo and Nikki Tang with PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez)
Other “Women of Style & Substance†awardees this year included lawyer Patricia Bunye-Rojas, who is the first Filipino and Southeast Asian to become president of the global organization Licensing Executive Society International; art enthusiast, businesswoman and philanthropist Sheree Chua; Kaye Zorrilla-Gamboa of Wella Philippines; fashion designer Maureen Disini-Teichert, who is known for her elegant couture and draping techniques; three-time Katha Awardee, jewelry designer Ann Ong; The Philippine STAR columnist and travel writer Christine Dayrit and Titania Wines owner Tita Trillo.
The night also took a fashionable turn, thanks to a spectacular fashion show, which showcased Escada’s Fall/Winter 2016 Collection; and the presentation of a Star of the Night Award by Jewelmer Joaillerie. World-class crooner Richard Poon also performed his signature hits to the well-heeled crowd, while Victor Aliwalas hosted the red-letter affair.
PeopleAsia’s “Women of Style & Substance†2016 Awards Night is brought to you by Charriol, Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila, Singapore Airlines, Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company, Inc, Escada, DMark Beauty and DermAsia Corp., Jewelmer Joaillerie, Department of Tourism of the Philippines, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), Phyto, Max Factor and The Philippine STAR.
(Richard Poon serenading the crowd)
(Happy Skin co-founder Rissa Mananquil-Trillo)
(Coralie Charriol-Paul of Philippe Charriol International, businesswoman and philanthropist Sheree Chua, PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez)
(Escada managing director Marilou Koa, Bb. Pilipinas International 2016 Kylie Verzosa and PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez)
(Singapore Airlines’ Camille Rose Pacis, Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat of Rustan’s and Sta. Elena Properties and PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez)
(Escada managing director Marilou Koa, Kaye Zorrilla-Gamboa of the Gamboa Group of Companies and PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez)
(Bataan First District Rep. Geraldine Roman)
(Multi-awarded journalist and The Philippine STAR columnist Christine Dayrit)
(Singapore Airlines’ Camille Rose Pacis, president of the global organization Licensing Executive Society InternationalPatricia Bunye-Rojas and PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romualdez)
(Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila general manager Gerhard Doll, fashion designer Maureen Disini-Teichert and PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez)
(Jewelry designer Ann Ong)
(Singapore Airlines’ Carol Ong, Titan Wines’ chairman and president Tita Trillo and PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez
(Nikki Tang)
(Secretary of the Department of Tourism Wanda Teo, Miss Universe Philippines 2016 Maxine Medina and PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez)
(Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardees Rep. Geraldine Roman and Ann Ong with PeopleAsia features editor Greggy V. Vera Cruz)
(Secretary of the Department Tourism Wanda Teo is flanked by gentlemen from the Mister International pageant)
(Kylie Verzosa, Coralie Charriol-Paul, Maxine Medina and the evening’s host Victor Aliwalas)
(Escada’s Escada managing director Marilou Koa takes a walk down the ramp)
(Rep. Ignacio Bunye and daughter Frannie alongside Joy Rojas and Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Patricia Bunye-Rojas)
(Donnie Tantoco with wife Crickette, Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat and Dina Arroyo-Tantoco)
(Michelle Dayrit-Soliven, Yvonne Dayrit-Romualdez and Sara Soliven-de Guzman)
 
(Women of Style and Substance 2016Â awardees Maxine Medina, Sheree Chua and Kylie Verzosa)
(SSI’s Thea Mitra, Cristina Bengson and Shirene Abel)
(Romanian Embassy’s Mihai Sion and wife Laura)
(Rolex’s Wolfgang Weilbach)
(Bea Tantoco-Reyes)
(Coralie Charriol-Paul poses with Charriol’s newest collection)
(Escada models with Escada managing director Marilou and husband Johnlu Koa)
(Ichiro Suzuki and Spencer Yu of Lexus)
(Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Ann Ong is flanked by Marian Ong and Anna Sia)
(Len Olbes, Women of Style and Substance 2016 Geraldine Roman and Hera Geriene)
(Coralie Charriol-Paul with SSI’s Mike Huang and wife Kathy)
(Mayenne Carmona, Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Nikki Tang and Gina Mohnani)
(Kevin San Agustin and PCSO’s Reena Yason)
(Roch Vergara, Monica Sangalang and Ayet Quimpo from Max Factor)
(
(Serla Russell, PeopleAsia‘s Carlo Rojas, Ruby Chua, Connie Haw, Agile Zamora, Nikki Tang and Ito Curata)
(Fatima Rabago, Hideo Muraoka and Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Sheree Chua)
(Thai Ambassador Thanatip Upatising, PeopleAsia publisher Babe Romuladez, Singaporean Ambassador Kok Li Peng, the Thai Ambassador’s wife Monthip Upatising and …)
(Raymond Rodrigurez of Lexus and Crimson Hotel Filinvest’s Carmela Bocanegra)
(Novotel Manila’s general manager Bernd Schneider and wife Pipin)
(Glecy Mojares, Jun Jun Ablaza and Marivic Madrigal Vazquez)
(Jewelmer’s Tricie Legarda and Nermae de Asis)
 
(Paolo Lobregat, Rico Tantoco, Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat, Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and Nena Tantoco)
(Joy Fong and Glenn Gale)
(Ping Sotto and wife Valerie, PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez with husband Ed Ramirez and Büm Tenorio)
(Tina and Ruper Jacinto)
 
(Mike Gamboa, Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Kaye Zorrilla-Gamboa alongside husband Jojo and Julian)
(Women of Style and Substance 2016 awardee Tita Trillo and Rene Arambulo)
(Simeon and Carla Falconit)
(Jewelmer’s Jacques Christophe Branellec with fiance Mia Arcenas)
(PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez with Rajah Travel’s Aileen Clemente)
(
(The Dayrit sisters Michelle Dayrit-Soliven, Christine Dayrit, Yvonne Dayrit-Romualdez and Jaqui Dayrit-Boncan)
PeopleAsia’s “Women of Style & Substance†2016 issue is available in leading bookstores and newsstands nationwide; and is available on the Apple store and Google Plus. For more updates and information, visit peopleasia.ph or Stargate PeopleAsia on Facebook.
