Let's all help #RebuildPH

It has been three months since Typhoon Yolanda left a path of utter destruction in Eastern Visayas, a tragedy that broke the hearts of millions of Filipinos. But while the focus of the country has already been sidelined by other hot issues like Sen. Bong Revilla’s privilege speech and the infamous mauling of actor Vhong Navarro, Coca-Cola tried to bring back the attention of the public to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Together with partners Red Cross Philippines and Habitat for Humanity, Coca-Cola hosted #RebuildPH, an on-ground venue calling for more volunteers and donations to help step-up rebuilding efforts in the Visayas region. Hundreds of volunteers attended the event last January 30, at the Araneta Open Grounds in Cubao, Quezon City. Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon and Habitat for Humanity CEO Charlie Ayco were present in the event, where they both shared how their organizations were able to provide immediate assistance for typhoon victims.

The youth also had representatives on stage via the Coca-Cola Happiness Ambassadors – Enchong Dee, Kathryn Bernardo, Joseph Marco and Julia Montes. Despite their young age, these children proved that age doesn’t matter when they recounted their own small acts of kindness for Typhoon Yolanda victims.

It was also great to see other familiar faces in the event like famous businessman Fernando Zobel and former Ms. Universe Margie Moran – whose presence in #RebuildPH only bolstered my respect for them. It also gave me high hopes that the future of typhoon victims is really in good hands.

Meantime, this year’s 40 Bb. Pilipinas candidates brightened the night with their beautiful and kind smiles, further encouraging people to enlist as volunteers.

It was truly a night of inspiration. My only hope is for people to continue in helping rebuilding efforts in Eastern Visayas. Yes, a lot has already been done for super typhoon victims. But with the amount of devastation left by Typhoon Yolanda, there is still so much we can all do. Let’s all hold hands and together try to share whatever we have and do whatever we can.

Front: Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines President Cecile Alcantara, Coca-Cola Philippines President & General Manager Guillermo Aponte, Philippine Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon, Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang, Habitat for Humanity Managing Director & CEO Charlie Ayco and Habitat for Humanity Chairman Fernando Zóbel de Ayala
Back: Coca-Cola Happiness Ambassadors Enchong Dee, Julia Montes, Kathryn Bernardo and Joseph Marco

Open Happiness. Coca-Cola Philippines President & General Manager Guillermo Aponte (center) with Coca-Cola Happiness Ambassadors Joseph Marco, Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes and Enchong Dee

Team Coca-Cola: Enchong Dee, Joseph Marco, Miko Raval & Robi Domingo with Senior IMC Manager Nikki Lee-Benitez, Marketing Activation Manager Rogie Delena, Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Cecile Alcantara, Michael Mendoza, Jose Javier Coscolluela and Ronnie Ignacio

Kapamilya actors Enchong Dee, Joseph Marco & Miko Raval with Team Habitat for Humanity

Active: Coca-Cola Ambassador Enchong Dee helping out at #RebuildPH Red Cross booth

With a Smile: Coca-Cola Ambassador Joseph Marco excited for his latest small act of kindness

Pretty and Kind: Coca-Cola Ambassador Kathryn Bernardo charms Red Cross volunteer with act of kindness

Beauty Inside and Out: Lovely Coca-Cola Ambassador Julia Montes volunteers for Red Cross

Red Cross Ready: Actor/model Miko Raval attracting more Red Cross volunteers

Kung Hei Fat Choi: Mr. Chinatown 2013 winner Randy See welcomes Chinese New Year by enlisting as volunteer

All In: Chinito member Jerome Tan's turn at the Red Cross booth

Helping Arms: Chinito member Sky Yang ready for Red Cross

Cute and charming: Chinito member Sydney Du all in for Red Cross

Gorgeous girl: Ms. Resorts World Manila 2013 Nikita McElroy shows inner beauty as Red Cross volunteer

Inspiring. Coca-Cola Foundation President Cecile Alcantara tells group’s deeds for Yolanda victim/s

Always There. Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon shares organization’s initiatives in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda

Building Homes. Habitat for Humanity CEO Charlie Ayco asks volunteers to help bring Yolanda victims home

Power House. Coca-Cola General Manager Guillermo Aponte watches Rebuild event with former Ms. Universe Margie Moran and Ayala Corporation President Fernando Zobel

Join Forces: (L-R) Coca-Cola General Manager Guillermo Aponte, Ayala Corporation President Fernando Zobel, and Habitat for Humanity CEO Charlie Ayco united in helping #RebuildPH

Heartthrob Volunteers: Mr. Chinatown 2013 winner Randy See (third from left) with his court (L-R) Sydney Du, Jerome Tan, and Sky Yang call on more volunteers via social media using #RebuildPH

Big Band Syndicate vocalists: Tutti Caringal, Kleggy Abaya, Eunice Evangel Jorge and Kean Cipriano

The Henry Hotel: Surreal Life

Few words thrill me as the pair : "New Hotel." A hotel provides glamour, escape and exploration. It is a chance to enter a controlled universe, so that one's visual, mental or even emotional acuity can become keener and more refined. So when my friend Tessa Prieto-Valdes invited Anton Barretto and me to the launch party of The Henry, Cebu's quirkiest boutique hotel, I did not hesitate.

The hotel's lobby combines overscale, vintage-inflected furniture, pop art, old fashioned toys and all forms of baggage, for a fresh and fun vibe. The restaurant features a giant comic strip and a centerpiece dining table and chairs supersized to giant proportions. The lanai and pool are dominated by a graphic vertical garden. The Henry Hotel is a dynamic new addition to the ever evolving Cebuano scene.

Manila crew invades Cebu!

Enticing entrance to The Henry's

A chair is still a chair, even though I'm sitting there: at The Henry's lobby

Nice mix of chairs at The Henry's

Love their wall art!

Bull's eye artwork at The Henry's

It's not mine! Rimowa, 1920's

Fresh buko! Great! I'm thirsty!

Awesome vertical garden at the patio!

It's almost summer and the pool is inviting me to dive in!

Overwhelming support #RebuildPH

Overwhelming support for today’s Rebuild event poured in from around the Web. Known personalities from different fields like Anne Curtis, Ben Chan, Empress, Liza Ilarde, JC Buendia, Rajo Laurel, Mark Nicdao, Xander Angeles, Ronnie Salvacion, Robby Carmona, Nix Alanon, Ariel Lozada, Kaye Tinga, Henri Calayag, Kai Lim, Mike Carandang, Miko Raval and of course my good friends Angelette Calero & Anton Barretto and a lot of others did their part by inviting their fans and followers to join Coca-Cola, Habitat for Humanity and Philippine Red Cross today at the Araneta Center.

Like I said yesterday, there is still a lot we can do to help the victims of Typhoon Yolanda. Let’s all try to lend a helping hand by enlisting as volunteers for #RebuildPH.

#RebuildPH

It is one thing to help calamity victims immediately after disaster strikes. It’s another thing to continue helping, three months after the tragedy.

It was November when Typhoon Yolanda put the whole Philippines down on its knees after it destroyed a great part of Eastern Visayas and left thousands homeless. Now, almost three months later, Coca-Cola, together with its partners Habitat for Humanity and Red Cross Philippines, is reigniting the flame as it calls for more volunteers to help victims of the super typhoon through #RebuildPH.

#RebuildPH is an on-ground venue to call for action and help step-up rebuilding efforts in Eastern Visayas. Habitat for Humanity CEO and managing director Charlie Ayco, as well as Red Cross Chairman Richard Gordon, will be personally present in this event to share their organization’s role in restoring areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda.

Meantime, Coca-Cola Ambassadors Enchong Dee, Joseph Marco, Julia Montes and Kathryn Bernardo are doing their own share in inspiring victims of the super typhoon. Despite their young age, all four of them have done both small and huge acts of kindness to help out. I cannot help but be proud of these wonderful children who are not only putting a smile on the faces of typhoon victims, they are also inspiring the rest of the country make a move.

Just as well, because the job of rebuilding Eastern Visayas cannot depend on just four people, it rests on the hands of every Filipino. It would be really great if each and everyone of us could lend a helping hand in rebuilding Eastern Visayas. We can start by being volunteers for #RebuildPH.

Join the Coca-Cola Ambassadors in the #RebuildPH event happening on January 30, 2014, 4PM at the Araneta Open Grounds. It’s bound to be an inspiring afternoon. We hope to see you there.