Dinner for Italian Businessmen

Twenty five Italian businessmen are in the Philippines today for a 5-day trade mission.
Philippines, Inc. hosted a dinner last night in their honor together with the Department of Foreign Affairs headed by Sec. Albert del Rosario and the Department of Trade and Industry represented last night by Usec. Adrian Cristobal.

I arrived 10 minutes before 6 pm.

RP Manhit was ahead of me. RP is on a serious dieting program. From over 300 lbs. just a few months ago, he is now down to 250 lbs. Look at his Americana, medyo maluwag na. He targets another 30-50 lbs from his belly. Uyyy, sexy na si RP.

Lolo Dad’s staff are all ready.  Evelyn Logatoc, Michelle Utoksiri (she’s half-thai) and Jovie de la Cruz

Chester Narsoles, Joel Mateo and Nico Guiam

Aizel Anolin from the Dept. of Trade & Industry. Aizel travels a lot as part of the advance party of the President, the business delegation, trade missions, DTI secretariat. She and her team take care of the preparations like meetings, forum, hotel bookings, visas, airline tickets, and other logistics to make sure the trip is fruitful and successful, without a glitch.

DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario (in barong) is always on time.  He is one of the most hard-working cabinet secretaries.

Tonyboy Cojuangco, Harry Liu. Rico Tantoco, Former Ambassador and currently our Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Albert Del Rosario

Antonio Lopa and Harry Liu

Noel Onate, Rico Tantoco,  Tonyboy Cojuangco, Sec. Albert del Rosario and Jun Periquet

Atty. Mike Toledo and Atty. Opap Villongco

The dinner was held at Lolo Dad’s in Makati.
Chef Ariel prepared a Spanish menu. Can you imagine if we served them pasta and pizza?

These are not vanilla ice cream.

Appetizers: Deep fried anchovy, Jamon Serrano on Cataloupe,

Gambas Alia Pobre, Calamares Frito with Aioli, boquet of salad

Lentil and split pea with bacon lardons in ham stock and poached egg

Michael Conroy, SAOTE’s Commercial and Operations Director, Asia Pacific

Welcome address by Tonyboy Cojuangco

Raymond Garcia was on FACETIME most of the time last night, speaking and waving to his three daughters and pretty wife. He panned his Iphone for us to see his family. His 7 year-old daughter is waiting for him so he left immediately after dinner. He is so dedicated to his 4 girls.

Raymond and Angelica M.  Cayas, Director, International Marketing Department  of the Board of Investments (BOI)

Now you see me

Now you don’t.
RP Manhit, Babe Romualdez, Antonio Lopa, Simon Paz

Anna Lisa Bisson, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Luca Fornari and DTI Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal

Pimenton and mustard rubbed eye of Rib-eye with bone-marrow and caramelized onion crust, in poquillo pepper jus

Morcilla oil poached fillet of seabass in oyster cream sauce with paella rice

almond ice cream

I didn’t eat the flan de naranja, it was too sweet for me

Lolo Dad’s Chef Ariel

Atty. Opap Villongco, Claudette Guevara, Larein Chua, Tony Lopa, Job Ambrosio and RP Manhit

Someone from the DTI secretariat distributed this organic sugar, courtesy pala of Harry Liu

Coco Natura

The dinner ended at around 9 pm.
I came home with an upset tummy, no, not from the delicious food, but just from stress, so I drank a 3/4 cup of herbal tea mixed with fresh ponkan juice.