The women of Daniel de la Cruz

Some of Manila’s most interesting women like art writer Sonia Ner, TV host and columnist Tessa Prieto-Valdes, People Asia and Allure editor Joanne Rae Ramirez and former Makati City Mayor Dr. Elenita Binay cut the ribbon and raised their glasses when sculptor Daniel de la Cruz unveiled his latest works in an exhibit called Himig.

 Himig is the artist’s third one-man show, which was on exhibit recently at Artistspace at the Glass Wing of the Ayala Museum, following two previous acclaimed expositions: Kandungan and Parangal. In his latest exhibit, Daniel celebrated the combined strength and grace of women through hand-carved and hand-molded metal pieces of sculpture that combine lead, copper and brass.

Twenty-five pieces depicted women in four states of being: in the act of playing a musical instrument, bonding with her unborn child, in whimsical poses and in spiritual repose. Himig coincided with La Salle Greenhills Batch ‘84’s Silver Jubilee and the school’s 50th anniversary, which will have One La Salle Fund-LSGH Batch ‘84’s program to raise funds to provide scholarships for deserving students throughout the country. At the exhibit, La Salle’s Br. Felipe Belleza FSC, president of La Salle Greenhills, gave the opening remarks, while lawyer Howard Calleja, Batch’84 chairman and Br. Bernard Oca FSC, De La Salle University vice chancellor, thanked Daniel for his generosity.

Daniel said: “The exhibit aims to celebrate the unique gentleness and gentility of women. Women for me are the most fascinating subjects because they have so many contradictions. Finding the harmony in all her contradictions and interpreting them in metal was a great joy as an artist. Himig is a humble attempt on my part to express what one cannot put into words in depicting a woman.”

Collection for a cause

UK’s favorite department store Debenhams launched its Autumn/Winter 2008 collection along with its latest advocacy with a fashion show held at Rustan’s Makati.

Rustan Commercial Corp. and Store Specialists, Inc. president Zenaida Tantoco said a percentage of Debenhams’ sales from Sept. 21 to Oct. 18 will go to the Philippine Christian Foundation Inc. (PCF) to help them achieve their goals. 

The PCF is a non-profit, non-stock registered charity that has been working with dumpsite communities for a year. In order to remedy the country’s poverty cycle, PCF implements many social, health and nutrition, livelihood, welfare and spiritual programs. COO Jane Walker shared: “The proceeds are going to the construction of the world’s largest school made from shipping containers. The National Housing Authority granted the PCF the use of land opposite to the infamous Smokey Mountain dumpsite as the site for this new grade school for children who work as waste pickers. It is now more than ever that we need the help so we are thankful to Debenhams. By walking the catwalk, we are appealing to everyone to help us finish this school.”

Debenhams marketing and merchandising head Lou Rulloda explained: “The synergy of the collaboration would be in Debenhams being a British brand and PCF being a charity supported by the British Embassy. It was important to us to do something different and to further one of their projects; we wanted to take an advocacy further. With the recommendation of the British Ambassador’s wife and charity proponent Jill Beckingham, we collaborated with the PCF.” British Ambassador Peter Beckingham says: “Sincere thanks to Debenhams, Rustan’s and SSI.”

The fashion show was made extra special by models from the British Embassy, the British School and PCF. Of course, the grand finale was British Ambassador Peter Beckingham joining in the fun and the cause.

So head on to Debenhams and shop for a cause in any of its stores at the third level of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, the third level of Rustan’s Makati, Glorietta 4 or at the second level of TriNoma.

They’re stronger together

Dell is known worldwide for its quality computers. One evening in Marriot Hotel, Cebu and during an afternoon in Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Dell Philippines formally announced its partnership with Innovista Technologies Inc. Both events were attended by hundreds of guests from reselling companies in Visayas and Luzon respectively. Innovista is well known for its distribution of computers and gadgets and for having a broad number of dealers.

Consumers can now avail themselves of Dell-branded small and medium businesses (SMB) products in the local market. Innovista at the same time can offer a wider array of choices to meet more people’s demands.

Dell Philippines director and regional manager Barry Bunyi and Innovista president Alexander Chan sealed the deal in both events.

Some of the Dell-branded products that Innovista would be distributing were showcased during the events. The products that pleased the guests were the new Vostro A840 and Vostro 1310 notebooks, flat panel widescreen monitors and their projectors.

Bunyi said: “Having networks can cause a big impact in the business and helps in the growth of many companies. Advertisements can introduce and can call out buyers of our products but it does not ensure acquisition of these things. We want to make sure that when they enter a computer retailing store, they will find the Dell products they are looking for and get to know more about them.”

The events were just the beginning of good things to watch out for.