MANILA, Philippines - The 38th Annual Consular Ball was successfully held recently at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangri-La Hotel. According to Monaco Honorary Consul General Fortune Ledesma, it not only lived up to its longtime tradition of being the annual highlight of the Philippine international community’s diplomatic-consular calendar, it also raised P1 million for relief and rehabilitation for super typhoon Yolanda victims. The amount donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development was presented even before the ball through Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario by the Dean of the Consular Corps of the Philippines, Canada Consul General Steven Chapman, Ball Chairperson Ledesma and her co-chairs, Gambia Honorary Consul Agnes Huibonhoa and Tanzania Honorary Consul Betty Ang, and other members of the Corps’ Executive Board led by Vice Dean/Incoming Dean George Yang, Honorary Consul General of Eritrea.
Among the ball’s major donors that contributed to the fund were CATS Motors/Mercedes Benz, Megaworld Corporation and Foundation, 2GO Group, Calata Corporation, and Federal Land.