Elegant ruby wedding anniversary; Cathay Pacific’s Cebu connection turns 50
FLORENTINO ATILLO III, Boboy to close friends and family, and his lovely wife Irma Atillo had good reason to celebrate. A ruby anniversary to them meant 40 years of married bliss. Hence, a grand occasion at their palatial home in San Fermin Place.
That is the name of the subdivision they have created in Maribago, LapuLapu City, Mactan Island. The observance started with a Sunday afternoon Mass officiated by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, a dear friend of the family.
With Boboy and Irma on this significant occasion were their children. From California had come daughter Melissa and her husband, Charlie Zamfir. They were married last Easter. Their son Nico was starry-eyed beside his pretty fiancée, Liza Neumann. The wedding has been set for August in Cebu.
An elegant crowd gathered for cocktails and canapés at the grand salon. Dinner, served by Café Laguna, was individually plated, at the covered porch, cooled by sea breezes. Boboy’s mother, Narcisa Garneu, sat beside Cardinal Vidal.
Coupling the gourmet menu were the excellent wines poured throughout. They had been specially chosen by Boboy from his well-stocked cellar. The evening progressed with dancing to the music of the Renaissance Band.
Ricardo and Angelina Ong celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Christmas Day, with a solemn renewal of vows at 3 p.m., at the Sacred Heart Parish. It was filled to capacity as was the Pacific ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel where the reception was held.
Hosting the event were the couple’s children, their spouses and grandchildren. Eleanor and Edward Hayco were with their Edelaine Florence, Erika Venice, Evan- geline Marie and Evonne Valerie.
Osbert and Sara Jane Ong were with their Eliza Felangie, Elmee Maureen and Odyson Manric.
Emily and Henry Uy had their Alyanna Louise, Andrea Kimberly, Harvey Eaton and Hendrik Ethan; Elsa and Partick John Ang with their Patricia Mae Louise, Jan Ericsson, Ella Lorraine and Sophie.
Principal sponsors were Ambassador Francisco Benedicto and Honorary Consul of Turkey Leontina Benedicto; Honorary Consul of Korea Augusto Go and Elizabeth Gan Go; Helena Tan Benedicto; Leo Lim Liu and Norma Liu; engineer Ignacio Ong and Theresa K. Ong.
Cathay Pacific celebration
Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated 20 years of direct service between Ce- bu and Hong Kong with a grand bash at the Atrium of Northwing in SM City Cebu. Welcoming all was CX Cebu manager Grace Ho.
Helping her were sales and marketing manager Connie Cimafranca; Lulu Son, in charge of direct sales; airport manager Janice Nabua and cargo manager Henry Francisco.
From Manila had come Cathay’s country manager Martin Xu and assistant manager Rey Fung. From Singapore was regional manager Wilson Yam.
Present were former Cathay Cebu managers Anne Thompson and Maggie Wong, Grace’s immediate predecessor now assigned in Hong Kong.
VIP guests included Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Consul General of China Zhang Wei Guo, Mactan Cebu International Airport manager Nigel Villarete and Tourism Commission’s Phineas Alburo.
Phineas has always been connected with tourism. He recalls the mid- 1960s when the Cathay Pacific general sales agency was located right beside his office along Fuente Osmeña.
That means Cathay’s presence in Cebu has been for almost 50 years. A highlight of this occasion was the awarding of citations to staff who have served CX in Cebu for the past 20 years— Henry, Lulu and Janice.
A round- trip ticket— Cebu/ Hong Kong/ Cebu— was raffled and won by Thea Riñen of Cebu Daily News, the INQUIRER’s sister newspaper in Cebu.
For the rest of the evening, there was beautiful music from the string ensemble of the Cebu Philharmonic Orchestra. Mallgoers lingered around the party’s periphery to enjoy the classic tunes.
One is reminded that the Cathay Pacific office in Cebu is at the 12th floor of the FGU building near Ayala Center. Grace’s office has a great view, stretching to the Mactan airport so she can see the Cathay planes arrive and depart seven days a week.