 |
| PAHK Chairman Rex Aguado leads officers and guests in a toast during the charity night. |
By Daisy CL Mandap
The Philippine Association of Hong Kong, the biggest group of Filipino professionals and business people in Hong Kong, raised a total of $260,000 for charity from its annual Philippine Independence Day Ball held at the Conrad on June 17.
This was according to PAHK chair, journalist Rex Aguado, who said the money will go to various charities, including the Bayanihan Centre, Bethune House Migrant Women’s Refuge and Wim and Leila Rispers (Wimler) Foundation.
Part of the proceeds of the “Swingaround” event which was co-sponsored with Philippine Airlines will also go to the PAHK-Aral educational fund, a project with Wimler.
“We are ‘adopting’ a class of B’laan school kids in Narangay Lampagang, Tulunan in Cotabato by buying them shoes, school bags, books, notebooks, other school supplies under the re-focused PAHK-Aral educational fund for poor children in remote areas,” said Aguado.
In his speech at the Ball, Aguado focused on the importance of education and good values in nation building when he quoted national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal: “Why independence, if the slaves of today will be the tyrants of tomorrow?”
He also deflected complaints from some about the relatively pricey tickets to the event - $2,000 each for the VIP seats and $1,500 for others – assuring everyone that the social event was for a good cause.
Standing in place of guest speaker Consul General Bernardita Catalla who was reportedly taken ill shortly before the event was her deputy, Roderick Atienza.
In Catalla’s written speech which Atienza read, the Philippines’ top diplomat bid farewell to members and guests of PAHK, as she is set to take up her new post as Ambassador to Lebanon by August this year.
She said the “Swingaround” concept jibed with the familiarization tours that the Consulate had been doing to promote the country.
She also thanked Aguado and the PAHK for organizing tours and business meetings that focused on the province of Iloilo as a destination for Hong Kong people, and called on the community to work together to help sustain the Philippines’ economic growth.
In keeping with tradition, the 58-year-old PAHK organized a Sunday show for migrant domestic workers at Edinburgh Place in Central the next day, where the featured performers were a group called BoyBandPH. The Ball was topbilled by singers Morisette Anon and Johna.
