Tacloban Beauty Shines

CEBU, Philippines - This year's photo exhibit of world-renowned photographer Rupert Jacinto, dubbed "Faaabvlous VII," at the Gallery of the Peninsula Manila, features one of Tacloban's beautiful women.

 Minerva Mondejar-Steiner, 37, is a gallerist and a philanthropist. She studied Art History at Oxford University and Fashion Styling at Central St. Martins in London. She regularly travels between Tacloban City and Zurich, Switzerland, her second home. She is married to acclaimed Swiss movie director Michael Steiner.

She was one of the 15 Faaabvlous Women presented during the opening of the photo exhibit and a coffee-table book launch recently. The exhibit ran until yesterday, December 6.

Guests of honor at the exhibit were the Faaabvlous Icons of 2016 - Betsy Westendorp de Brias, Monaco Consul General Fortune Ledesma, Guatemala Consul Mellie Ablaza and Angola Consul Helen Ong, together with Male Icon of 2016 Ramon Orlina. Jacinto annually tapped beautiful and fabulous people with elan, style and substance.

Mondejar-Steiner had opened the Mondejar Gallery at the heart of Zurich, Switzerland, in 2007, showcasing Philippine contemporary art. She is putting up the "Rupert Jacinto's 1st Fabulous Icons 2017" at her Mondejar Gallery early next year, featuring Swiss expats in the Philippines and Filipino expats in Switzerland. The proceeds are to go to a good cause in Tacloban City.

Mondejar-Steiner's humanitarian spirit has led her to establish the M. Mondejar Steiner Foundation, which provided immediate relief to Taclobanon residents after super typhoon swept the area. In the days after the typhoon, she invited about a hundred kids at Naga-Naga village, Tacloban City, and enrolled them in the school's day care learning center, with free meals and psychosocial therapy. Her charity organization also helped rebuild the damaged facilities of JE Mondejar Computer College and provided scholarships to support the uninterrupted education of students and the school's faculty members.

In her interest to promote cultural exchange, she has produced children's cooking shows on cuisines from around the world. Her other endeavors include the Art-Space and Cinema Club, featuring quality independent films at Once-Upon-a-Time in Boracay.

Mondejar-Steiner was Miss An Maglipayon in 2007 - a charity ball in Tacloban City. Her sister, Bernadette Schuelter, was named by the Female Women's Net as one of the 100 Most Influential Women of 2016. The two are daughters of power couple Rene Bing Mondejar and Lucita Dublas,

With her in the "Faaabvlous Fifteen Women of 2016" are Riza Asa, Yoli Ayson, Cathy Binag, Dr. Risa Caldoza, Gela Cornelissen, Crystal Jacinto, Michelle Lee, Vina Lelim Nacionales, Cory Navarro, Manila Rep. Sandy Ocampo, Margarita Palacios, Katrina Ponce-Enrile, Dr. Kaycee Reyes, and Shilpa Tolani. (FREEMAN)