Red Charity Gala 2023 exceeds target; Filipina supermodels at Ivarluski Aseron show

MANILA, Philippines — Celebrity couples Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales and Paul Soriano and Toni Gonzaga, and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, were among the many showbiz, politics and society figures that supported the annual fundraising ball Red Charity Gala, held last Sunday in The Peninsula Manila, Makati City.

The Peninsula Manila or Manila Pen does not normally hold events in its lobby, save for the New Year countdown, but the five-star hotel lent its lobby for the dinner and fashion show, as well as its adjacent Rigodon Ballroom for the after-party, said Red Charity Gala co-founder Tessa Prieto at one of her many spiels during the ball.

During the sit-down dinner, Filipino theater and opera stars like Gian Magdangal and soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park serenaded the crowd with Broadway and West End hits. 

Tim Yap then returned to the auction floor together with Tessa, their 12th time ever since the ball began. Among those that went under the hammer included donated iPhone 15s, Jewelmer Southsea pearl necklace, Patrick Coard and Jigger Cruz artworks, beauty treatments and luxurious stays in South Africa, London and Istanbul, among others. Artists Coard and Cruz personally took photos with winning bidders.

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Some auctioned items spurred over a million pesos in bids, so Tessa declared at a spiel that they have exceeded their target from the auction, whose proceeds will go 100% to Red Cross, Assumption HS ‘81 Foundation, Save the Palawan Seas Foundation, and this year, with the addition of Hope for Lupus Foundation.

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Finally, the event culminated with the presentation of celebrity fashion designer Ivarluski “Ivar” Aseron’s 60-piece collection modeled by beauty queens and Philippine supermodels, among them, Jasmine Meierhoffer, Ria Bolivar, and Jo Ann Bitagcol.

“Design, for me, sparks interest,” Ivar said in a video presentation prior to the catwalk show. “I’ve always described my design aesthetic as experimental. I try to push the boundaries now as I mature. There’s refinement in my work. I’m