Charity balls are a dime a dozen, but if you were inclined to attend just one ball a year, it should be the Tatler Philippines Ball, that is if you get invited. It isn’t exactly the most extravagant, but it’s the most tasteful, hardly any extravaganza, or high-intensity performances that bring the roof down. It’s just a gathering of a mindfully chosen few, about 300 of the country’s foremost tastemakers, visionaries, and industry leaders this year, up by 20 from last year, down by about 200 from the years before the pandemic.

If there’s anything eye-popping about the Tatler Ball, it’s what the guests wear, although it seems that the dress code—black tie and long gown—comes with an unspoken caveat: Nothing out of this world. The elegance of restraint seems to be the rule of thumb when you think about what you should wear to this A-list event. Let the jewelry make jaws drop, but the dress, no matter how luxurious, must spell t-a-s-t-e, a hallmark of polite society. The designers know it. Not many of them get to make gowns for the Tatler Ball, but if a client rings to say he or she needs something to wear for the ball, they know it has to be tastefully special.

This year, on Nov. 18, Tatler Philippines mounted its 22nd ball at the grand ballroom of the Shangri-La the Fort. There were changes, but even the changes were subtle. What used to be the cocktail area, where the guests would gather for some catchup before they made their way into the ballroom for dinner, had been turned into a gallery of sort, with the photo vignettes of the evening on display. Instead, the cocktail area, replete with sofas, armchairs, and coffee tables surrounding a huge, dramatically lit fountain, was set up this year in a third of the ballroom, only two-thirds of which accommodated the stage and the dinner tables for the event proper.

Dinner was a tad Moroccan, carefully planned by Shangri-La the Fort general manager Amit Oberoi and executive chef Joris Rycken. There was slow braised lamb terrine with pistachio and apricot orange jelly, garden greens, and zaalouk or eggplant mousse for starters. The mains were a fillet of cod topped with a relish of fresh herbs and spices and turmeric cauliflower rice and tajine-style beef short rib with couscous and vegetable tian and raisin onion confiture. Served for dessert, along with coffee or a selection of tea, was an orange basbousa with caramelized almonds, orange ice cream, and pomegranate. Needless to say, the wine and the champagne, not to mention the whisky, were overflowing.

Three Filipinos were honored at the 22nd Tatler Ball for their exemplary contributions to their fields of expertise. Maria Ressa received the Diamond Award. Internationally acclaimed furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue was given the Impact Award for putting Philippine design on the world map. Dolly de Leon’s Golden Globes-nominated performance in the film Triangle of Sadness brought her the Arts and Culture Award.

Sometimes, the success of a program, especially on occasions like the Tatler Ball, lies in its simplicity. Entertainment was brief—Morissette Amon performing “Never Enough,” which left us all, including Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach, wanting more.

Even the awards ceremony was simple, if not straightforward. As Tatler Philippines editor in chief Anton San Diego and global style icon Heart Evangelista dressed in headturning Giambattista Valli couture announced their names, they went up the stage, where Randy Francisco and Tatler Dining editor Isabel Martel Francisco handed them their trophy and certificate, gave a brief thanksgiving speech, and promptly returned to their seats. Kenneth, as he received his award, provided what I would consider the quote of the night: “Nothing is more beautiful than the generosity in our hearts.”

Purpose, of course, was the cake upon which the icing of gowns, glitter, and gold was lavished on the Tatler Ball. It was the rhyme and reason behind all the glamour, the luxury trains on gowns that made their wearers seem afloat on clouds. Tim Yap and Tatler Homes Philippines editor Stephanie Zubiri hosted the program and, later joined by social media star Small Laude, manned the auction, which sold a Jigger Cruz artwork, donated by Jaime Ponce de Leon, for ₱2 million. Also on the block was an Amanpulo and Jewelmer package, a three-night stay at the dream resort inclusive of a precious pearl pendant and a visit to the South Sea pearl farm by helicopter.

This year’s chosen beneficiary was Project Inclusion Network, a passion project founded by lawyer and advocate Em Aglipay-Villar and dedicated to the recognition of the potential of People with Disabilities (PWD). Beyond recognition, the foundation aims to deploy their skills and talents where they could be of use for community building and where they could get the PWDs the break they would need to lead a life of purpose.

“Our goal was to raise ₱11,250,000 to help 250 PWDs get education and job placement training,” said Irene Martel-Francisco, guiding light and managing director of Tatler Philippines. “We have now raised around ₱17,245,000 and counting! One hundred percent of the donations and auction proceeds go directly to the beneficiary.”

To help make the Tatler Philippines Ball 2023 happen, as it did with every detail of her focused vision in place, Irene turned to her stellar Tatler team and Tiffany & Co. as headline partner, Lexus as gold partner, and Belo, Eluria, HSBC, and Moet & Chandon as supporting partners.

Of course, no ball is a ball without fun. The enchanting evening at this year’s Tatler Ball, as in every year before it, wound down but not before rising to a crescendo with practically each of the guests on the dancefloor, dancing to the beats of DJ Manolet Dario.