Lunch with RCBC officers at Hexagon Lounge

Our lunch with the RCBC bank officers was set at 12 noon at the Hexagon Lounge in RCBC Tower, Ayala cor. Buendia. I anticipated the usual medium density traffic around noon time but I encountered heavy traffic. It was one of those days when I wished I could fly.

If not for the security check beside their building, I would have arrived on time, before 12, maybe at 11:55 am. Nagulat ako kasi the security guard suddenly opened the van’s sliding door. I found that intrusive. Tiningnan ko sya ng masama. Their security check area is right on Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), a public domain being used by a private entity. Their architects should have incorporated the security check ramp in the construction plan.

In Metro Manila, in almost every building, there are guards that check our bags, some have scanners, many scrutinize the contents of my bag by digging at the bottom which I find really annoying and invasive of my personal belongings and privacy. In some malls the female security guards grope women. Ilang daang babae na ang hinipuan nila at kinapkapan before me, contaminated na ang mga kamay nila. Ipapahid lang nila sa damit ko na bagong laba. I don’t like them touching my dress and of course me especially when I am wearing something special for a party. Scanner na lang, wag ng kapkap. Hindi ko alam kung anu-ano ang hinawakan nila before I arrived. Di ba invasive yan? Madalas they are chatting with each other tapos hahawakan ang katawan ko without really paying attention. Kakapkapan then what if I have a firearm? Are they going to run like what we’ve seen on the CCTV footage of a casino hotel in Pasay? Takbo agad yung babae.

The RCBC driveway is a little narrow for the size of my vehicle.

Our host told me to text her when I am already near the building so she could come down to pick me up from the lobby. I didn’t. I only messaged her after I’ve entered the building, that’s why I waited for a couple of minutes.
There were too many people in the lobby especially because it was lunch break. Nahihilo ako sa dami ng tao.

Yen arrived shortly after.

Our hosts are obviously familiar with the restaurant’s menu. Mukhang memoriado na nila.

They ordered this beef tapa appetizer that tasted like beef steak. It was good.

I was the last to order because I couldn’t decide whether to have pasta or fish or kare-kare. I finally settled for Binagoongang bagnet. It was good too.

They highly recommended this chicken dish to my daughter eh masarap siguro kasi favorite nila.

They all had mango panna cotta including my daughter, while I had taho. It was delicious. Bitin nga. I could finish three small cups of taho.

Rey Orsolino (First Vice President), Mike de Jesus (Senior Vice President), Dugong Cruz, Seated, Sharon Abalos, Yen and I.

Love Story of Mike:

Mike is the loving boyfriend of Gloria Diaz. His friends call him Mister Universe. He was the guy in the famous video of Gloria Diaz doing the rope wave. He could only handle one rope because the ones given to him were very heavy unlike the lighter ones for Gloria.

Mike studied and worked in the US. He came back to the Philippines when he was 38, still a bachelor. Their common friends introduced him to Gloria, and twenty years later, they are still together.

He had a ready answer when I asked “so when are you getting married?”
He said they are still young. Maybe when they are 80.

Mike and I have many common friends and acquaintances.

Thank you for the delicious lunch RCBC.