IN THE HOUSE FEBRUARY 2023

THE POWER OF LOVE

Recently, someone was telling me about how he couldn't get into the Oscar-nominated movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. The premise of the movie didn't quite appeal to him, and he abandoned the film after 20 minutes. "It's something to do with the multiverse, like everything happening all at the same time. It was too chaotic for me," he said, "I couldn't figure out what it was about."

"Well," I replied, "it does move through space and time, through a multitude of universes and a multitude of dimensions, but ultimately, at its core, it's a movie about love. And a movie about possibility."

It's as simple as that. Of course, it's also a highly entertaining film with many laugh out loud moments, incredible effects and bizarre narrative tangents, but the common thread, the primal force, that links and powers through the different universes and dimensions is love, particularly the love between a mother and a daughter.

And with love comes possibility. As commodified and hyped as the notion of love has become these days, it's still what most of us seek out in order to bring fullness and purpose to our lives. Not in the sense of finding fulfilment in another person, but in the sense of discovering the wholeness in yourself because you have given in to the possibility of love.

As the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once wrote, "Love is not all; it is not food or drink... / Yet many a man is making friends with death / Even as I speak, for lack of love alone."

If that's too Deepak for you, then there's always a love song to remind you how universal the desire to love and be loved is. In fact, on Valentine's Day, we have a former contestant on The Voice, Ryan Gallagher, to serenade you throughout dinner and remind you how love really makes the world go 'round. Turn to page 17 for more on the very special evening we have planned for you on the day of love.

Bambina Olivares Director of PR and Arts, Culture, and Education Programs

HOUSE GUEST

WHO Jason Atherton

Michelin-starred Chef Jason Atherton of Pollen Street Social, Pig & Palm

WHAT

Private Dinner at the Rizal Room with his wife, Irha, and their daughters, Keziah, Jemimah and Athena, together with Anton San Diego

WHEN

December 30, 2022

PHILIPPINES BEST BRAND AWARDS

Editor

Bambina Olivares

Content & Marketing Manager

Arci Catalan

Graphic Designer

Emmanuel John Guevara

Content Researcher

Trina Valera

Editorial Adviser

Anton San Diego

EDITOR'S NOTE TABLE OF CONTENTS

MEET OUR TEAM

Joanne Soriano

CLUB RULES

Attention All Members

BENEFITS & PRIVILEGES Quick Getaways LifeScience X Manila House Sanivir X Manila House

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT North of the Border Portugal Calling

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Nation and Nationality

Streamline Your Life

Jura Duty

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SerendipiTea Be Mine, Valentine In the Mix

Portugal Arrives in Manila: Going for Gold Part 8

The Portuguese Golden Visa Understanding the Role of the Corporate Director

New on the menu: a five-course sampler of local favorites

JOANE SORIANO Senior Cashier

A veteran member of the team, Joane Grace Soriano is a cheerful and efficient presence at Bonifacio Main Dining, manning the till, breakfast, lunch, dinner and beyond.

What do you do at Manila House?

I am a Cashier. When it's all about payments leave it to me. It is my pleasure to do my job as a Cashier.

How long have you been with the Club?

I've been working here since December 2017. It’s been five years serving the Club, building love and bonds with my colleagues and our Members like it’s one big happy playground.

What made you want to join the hospitality industry?

There are various reasons why I wanted to work in this industry, but mainly I am so used to customer service and I enjoy the compensation and benefits we receive as employees, including providing incomparable services to our clients to keep them satisfied Members of the Club.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

I would love to be a team player and may see myself one of the heads managing an awesome team someday, learning and growing as a great Manager.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

I normally celebrate it with my family as they are always the first people in my heart.

What’s the perfect day off for you?

The perfect days off for me are Saturdays and Sundays as these are the days where our family can be complete, since as some of us are working during the weekdays. I find it also as the perfect time to be a hands-on mom to my son since school's out on weekends.

What I want to receive this Valentine’s is… I'm not really a materialistic person but being a complete and healthy family is always my priority.

My ultimate love song is… Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift. I can relate to it deeply as a person and as a mother.

Three things I can’t leave home without… My phone, my wallet and my passion.

DIRECTORY

Manila House Private Club, Inc. 8F, Seven/NEO, 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 1634, Philippines www.manilahouseinc.com

Manila House Private Members Club @manila_house @manila_house

Manila House Private Club

POP QUIZ

QUICK GETAWAYS

Where to go when you need to escape from city life

For more information, please visit www.banwaprivateisland.com

UNVEIL THE SECRET OF EL NIDO: Experience Luxury in Simplicity at Lihim Resorts

In the Philippine lingua franca, Lihim directly translates to secret.

A secluded lagoon on Bacuit Bay reveals an expansive gradient of turquoise waters. Its surface sparkles like gems under rays of the sun. Some parts of the day, it is a looking glass that bares the storied underwater life of Palawan.

The luxury of experiences is something that unfolds itself at Lihim. In this well-kept secret, tucked in the depths of paradise’s last frontier, senses go on a journey where myth, magic, and mystery come to life. The curator, mastermind, director, and grand host behind all these: nature.

The exclusive experience in-property and on-location menu curated by Lihim Resorts promises to astonish.

Built in the tradition of Philippine huts, accommodations echo the warmth and brand of hospitality distinct to the country and reflect a design sensibility deeply anchored on local culture and everyday life. All sixteen villas on the property offer unparalleled views of El Nido’s storied vistas. With the opulent touch of personal butler, the team offers bespoke services tailored to cater to guests’ desires – from in-room check-in to hanging clothes in your walk-in wardrobe to organizing private parties to planning all activities within and outside of the property and to addressing every need and qualm.

For inquiries, contact Jeremy Aguilar at +63 915 104 9607 or email jeremy.aguilar@arawhospitality.com

Manila House Members now enjoy reciprocal rights at the following Clubs

SONATO

WORK

Please note that all requests for visits to and bookings at our reciprocal clubs must be coursed through Manila House at least three (3) days before your intended visit. Please include the dates of your visit, as well as the number of guests you wish to bring, as each club sets its own limits. We kindly remind you to wait for email confi rmation that your visit has been approved before proceeding to the reciprocal club. Please refrain from calling the reciprocal club directly to announce your visit. You may also be required to present your Manila House Membership Card when you arrive at the reciprocal club.

MIGUEL TAN answers the MH Questionnaire

Tell us what you do.

I am the CEO of Fasclad Inc. We are a Glass and Aluminum Façade contractor for highrise buildings. I am also CEO of MVT Group of Companies which is the holding company for some of our investments related in diverse industries such as Mosaic Realty & Development Corp, Studio 300 Bowling, Anytime Fitness Franchise, and Yedang Korean Grocery Corp.

How do you define success?

Success can differ for every person, but for me I believe that it is all about being content with your work and the postive impact you create in your society. In my case, whenever we complete a successful highrise building project we take pride that we take part in nation-building efforts towards a First World Philippines, especially since the buildings we clad will essentially last a lifetime.

What life lessons did you derive from the pandemic?

The biggest challenge during the pandemic was to continually adapt and operate our business groups in the most safe and efficient way, especially with our portfolio which is involved heavily in Construction, Fitness Gyms, and Restaurants. Our industry by nature is dependent on human interaction and labor.This proved to be a great challenge for us because of the pandemic and multiple lockdowns.Nevertheless, we were able to quickly adjust to the current situation by addressing the problems at the onset. The pandemic has forced us to think out of the box in terms of our previous business processes; this triggered us to innovate the way we conduct our business and through that, several changes were made in which most of our transactions and business communications are now done through online platforms. This has really helped us avoid unnecessary contact and exposure and at the same time we were able to shorten our processes which translated to cost efficiencies in our operations. With the improvements made we were able to efficiently cut cost and maintain low overhead. This allowed us manage our quarterly cashflows and buy us time to agressively pursue new clients and construction contracts. Thankfully by the grace of God and the collective efforts of the company we were able to pull through.

What’s the last movie/series you watched? The Menu

What book is on your bookshelf but you’ve never read?

Barack Obama’s The Promised Land

What song can't you get out of your head?

The Girl from Ipanema

What would you like to see in the “next normal”?

I believe we are living in it today already, I personally prefer not to compare pre-pandemic levels anymore as a means to measure progress since we have crossed over the curve already. I do hope to see a world that will be more prepared for the unexpected since this crisis was unthinkable so we as a nation must always be prepared for crisis.

What’s your favorite thing about Manila House?

I personally love the diverse food selection and the unique learning events, this is something I tend to look forward to every month.

If you had to be quarantined (again) which country would you choose to be in?

I believe I would want to be in Thailand, for the simple reason of it being close to home with delicious food.

"Success for me I believe that it is all about being content with your work and the postive impact you create in your society."

EASTERN DREAMS

Heed the call of old China and discover a trove of exquisite decorative objects from Noble Dreams House for the home, from tea canisters to prayer beads.

Get yours now at our Retail Corner.

For inquiries, please contact Lyka Reynoso at +63 917 834 2204 or +63 917 851 6500

NORTH OF THE BORDER

A green card may be the ultimate American dream, but for many Filipinos, Canadian residency promises even better opportunities. Explaining the advantages and benefits of Canadian permanent and residency via the Canadian Start Up Visa Program were Scott Moore, Managing Director, Private Clients at Henley & Partners, and Ryan Guy, Onboarding Specialist at Start Up Visa Services.

PORTUGAL CALLING

You don’t need to be a Russian oligarch to seek citizenship or residency via investment in Portugal under the country’s popular Golden Visa scheme. An increasingly popular destination for many Filipino families considering a second passport, the Golden Visa scheme, as Vicky Magpantay- Luis, President of Golden Visa Centrale, discussed in a recent webinar, is affordable and extremely attractive. Joining her were Rosalia Torres, Head of Sales and International Markets at Arish Capital Partners, Rakesh Majithia, Chief Investment Officer at Arish Capital Partners, and Atty. Andre Miranda, Founder and Managing Partner at Pinto Ribiero Advogados, who explained the requirements, procedures, investment opportunities - not to mention the benefits of living - in the sunny European country.

To watch the full webinar, visit our YouTube channel

GONG XI FA CAI!!

There was a lion dance, a Funny Buddha and the God of Fortune parading around the Club to celebrate the Year of the Water Rabbit while Members enjoyed a six-course Chinese banquet. An auspicious start to the Lunar New Year indeed.

NATION AND NATIONALITY

In partnership with Asia Society Philippines, we hosted a virtual discussion revolving around the Filipinio identity.

Joined by various experts with different interests in Philippine history Dr. Fernando Zialcita from Ateneo de Manila University, Dr. Jorge Mojarro from the University of Santo Tomas, Atty. Raymond Baguilat from UP Diliman, and Professor Leo Nery from Far Eastern University traversed in a wide discussion on cultural hybridity and indigenousness.

Highlighted in the webinar were the perils of fixating on a singular, static Filipino identity; and the importance of a shared story among the various communities in the Philippines, whilst recognizing the varied narratives across the country.

STREAMLINE YOUR LIFE

Presented in partnership with Budget Bodega

There’s something about January that makes us want to start over again. It’s not just about doing a big cleanup and organizing your things. It’s about staying organized as you live life from day to day. Certified professional organizer Kat Ong showed us what a fresh start really means, explaining the difference between cleaning and decluttering, providing step-by-step tips on how to stay organized.

JURA DUTY

The joys of beautifully aged fine scotch whiskies were introduced by Dean Daniel Rosen, Whyte & Mackay Single Malt Expert for Asia, and savored by an audience of Members and guests. Their whisky experience consisted of Jura 12 Years Sherry Cask Edition, Tamnavulin Double Cask Edition and Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, complemented by a selection of light appetizers and pica-pica: Spicy Tuna Tartare, Nori Chips Shimeji Fritos and Salted Egg Popcorn