The often unsung, but so important
Published Oct 23, 2022 12:05 am
HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
Two events I attended the other week had me thinking of just how often the unsung, and the ones behind the scenes, deserve to get more of the spotlight firmly placed on them. When coverage and social media posts of these events are scanned, we’ll see the beautiful people, the noted personages and celebrities, the “name-droppables,” hogging the coverage; and that’s par for the course, as they do create recall for the events. But the ones who conceptualized the event, the tireless workers — the ones who put the event together; I’d like this column to act as a well-deserved shout-out for them.
The Pink Ball of Estée Lauder was mounted for Breast Cancer awareness and early detection, with the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc. (Kasuso) and free mammograms, the beneficiary of the money raised. Kasuso does great voluntary work, and has now evolved to a patient navigation model that’s tailor-fit for the Philippine setting. The afflicted who come from marginalized or economically-challenged communities are the recipients of their steadfast work.
This year’s Pink Ball was the brainchild of Estée Lauder’s country general manager Sharyn Wong, who hails from Malaysia. Before her taking over the reins here in the Philippines, Estée Lauder had been instrumental in assisting the foundation my sister Libet C. Virata chairs, Helping Women and Others (HWAO), put up a new chemotherapy prep room at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH); so there’s some shared history between Estée and HWAO. We met Sharyn in March 2022, and the Pink Ball was just a germ of an idea back then.
Your columnist and Jordan Tan flank Estée Lauder Country GM Sharyn Wong.
Some members of the Estée Lauder team that tirelessly made The Pink Ball happen!
That in just six months, Sharyn had put together an event of this scale speaks volumes of her resourcefulness and determination. It marks 30 years of Estée’s Breast Cancer campaign, and Evelyn H. Lauder’s co-creating the now iconic pink ribbon — and Sharyn didn’t want to let those milestones pass without doing something monumental in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness here in the Philippines.
While Sharyn kept the fund-raising target close to her chest, I know the over ₱9 million raised on the night will go a long way in supporting free mammograms that Kasuso can offer the cancer patients under their supervision. The indefatigable work of the Estée crew in the months leading up to the ball cannot be discounted. It’s easy to witness the culmination of their concerted efforts, and mistakenly think it’s all about that one evening; when the meticulous planning, organizing, and logistical work, was spread over several months. We salute Estée Lauder Philippines, and wish Sharyn more success.
The following day, I attended the Coca-Cola Philippines progress report year four of their World Without Waste goals. The event was intended to put the spotlight on partnerships made during the four-year journey, and to provide an update on PETValue Philippines, their recycling and sustainable packaging initiative. PETValue Philippines, a partnership of Coca-Cola Beverages Inc., with Indorama Ventures, is the country’s first bottle-to-bottle, food grade recycling facility, and started operations this year in Cavite.
Senator Cynthia Villar and DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga were the special guests that morning, and for us in media, this may have been of particular significance, given the acrimonious Senate hearing on the Manila Bay reclamation projects earlier in the week. In fact, the two were very friendly during the event.
From left: Sanjay Ahuja, Gareth McGeown, president of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Senator Cynthia Villar, DENR Sec. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, and Jonah de Lumen-Pernia.
The two champions of Coca-Cola’s sustainability initiatives here in the Philippines held forth on the substantive steps and achievements being made. Tony del Rosario, president for Coca-Cola Philippines/VP franchise operations for the East Region of Coca-Cola Far East Ltd. was in Singapore, but was happy to virtually welcome the guests. “As a global beverage company, we are focused on our entire packaging lifecycle, and we recognize our role and responsibility to help tackle the plastic packaging waste issue. This takes collaboration, innovation, and continued effort, and we are making progress, with much more to do.”
Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario, who was in Singapore during the event.
Gareth McGeown, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, was on hand, and gave an enlightening talk about their Recycle Me message, and how they’ve been introducing brands whose bottles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic. They have their Tapon to Ipon project, which works with LGU’s, and encourages people in the communities to practice proper waste segregation, and to bring their empty, clear PET plastic bottles to collection hubs.
As Gareth reminded us, “Throughout our operations, there are various opportunities to minimize waste and accelerate the move to a circular economy… we are working towards our goal of collecting and recycling every can or bottle that we sell by 2030!”
Two events I attended the other week had me thinking of just how often the unsung, and the ones behind the scenes, deserve to get more of the spotlight firmly placed on them. When coverage and social media posts of these events are scanned, we’ll see the beautiful people, the noted personages and celebrities, the “name-droppables,” hogging the coverage; and that’s par for the course, as they do create recall for the events. But the ones who conceptualized the event, the tireless workers — the ones who put the event together; I’d like this column to act as a well-deserved shout-out for them.
The Pink Ball of Estée Lauder was mounted for Breast Cancer awareness and early detection, with the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care Inc. (Kasuso) and free mammograms, the beneficiary of the money raised. Kasuso does great voluntary work, and has now evolved to a patient navigation model that’s tailor-fit for the Philippine setting. The afflicted who come from marginalized or economically-challenged communities are the recipients of their steadfast work.
This year’s Pink Ball was the brainchild of Estée Lauder’s country general manager Sharyn Wong, who hails from Malaysia. Before her taking over the reins here in the Philippines, Estée Lauder had been instrumental in assisting the foundation my sister Libet C. Virata chairs, Helping Women and Others (HWAO), put up a new chemotherapy prep room at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH); so there’s some shared history between Estée and HWAO. We met Sharyn in March 2022, and the Pink Ball was just a germ of an idea back then.
Your columnist and Jordan Tan flank Estée Lauder Country GM Sharyn Wong.
Some members of the Estée Lauder team that tirelessly made The Pink Ball happen!
That in just six months, Sharyn had put together an event of this scale speaks volumes of her resourcefulness and determination. It marks 30 years of Estée’s Breast Cancer campaign, and Evelyn H. Lauder’s co-creating the now iconic pink ribbon — and Sharyn didn’t want to let those milestones pass without doing something monumental in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness here in the Philippines.
While Sharyn kept the fund-raising target close to her chest, I know the over ₱9 million raised on the night will go a long way in supporting free mammograms that Kasuso can offer the cancer patients under their supervision. The indefatigable work of the Estée crew in the months leading up to the ball cannot be discounted. It’s easy to witness the culmination of their concerted efforts, and mistakenly think it’s all about that one evening; when the meticulous planning, organizing, and logistical work, was spread over several months. We salute Estée Lauder Philippines, and wish Sharyn more success.
The following day, I attended the Coca-Cola Philippines progress report year four of their World Without Waste goals. The event was intended to put the spotlight on partnerships made during the four-year journey, and to provide an update on PETValue Philippines, their recycling and sustainable packaging initiative. PETValue Philippines, a partnership of Coca-Cola Beverages Inc., with Indorama Ventures, is the country’s first bottle-to-bottle, food grade recycling facility, and started operations this year in Cavite.
Senator Cynthia Villar and DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga were the special guests that morning, and for us in media, this may have been of particular significance, given the acrimonious Senate hearing on the Manila Bay reclamation projects earlier in the week. In fact, the two were very friendly during the event.
From left: Sanjay Ahuja, Gareth McGeown, president of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Senator Cynthia Villar, DENR Sec. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, and Jonah de Lumen-Pernia.
The two champions of Coca-Cola’s sustainability initiatives here in the Philippines held forth on the substantive steps and achievements being made. Tony del Rosario, president for Coca-Cola Philippines/VP franchise operations for the East Region of Coca-Cola Far East Ltd. was in Singapore, but was happy to virtually welcome the guests. “As a global beverage company, we are focused on our entire packaging lifecycle, and we recognize our role and responsibility to help tackle the plastic packaging waste issue. This takes collaboration, innovation, and continued effort, and we are making progress, with much more to do.”
Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario, who was in Singapore during the event.
Gareth McGeown, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, was on hand, and gave an enlightening talk about their Recycle Me message, and how they’ve been introducing brands whose bottles are made from 100 percent recycled plastic. They have their Tapon to Ipon project, which works with LGU’s, and encourages people in the communities to practice proper waste segregation, and to bring their empty, clear PET plastic bottles to collection hubs.
As Gareth reminded us, “Throughout our operations, there are various opportunities to minimize waste and accelerate the move to a circular economy… we are working towards our goal of collecting and recycling every can or bottle that we sell by 2030!”