It took more than endless shots of Macallan on the rocks or a tender, meaty, flavorful tomahawk, not to mention pork belly slow-roasted to perfection, to get anybody who had ever been to a dinner party hosted by the gracious Cruz couple, construction magnate Philip Cruz and his wife, businesswoman and style constant Ching Cruz, at their home in a leafy neighborhood in Makati City to mind the save-the-dates sent over a month before the appointed date.

Like most others on the guest list of no more than 60, I would have come anyway had Philip and Ching decided to serve nothing but biscuits because, after all, it was in honor of the birthdays of two of my favorite Geminis— hotelier Tina Cuevas and Philippine Airlines president and chief operating officer Stanley Ng. For these two beloved friends, Ching—always gracious, generous, and glamorous at entertaining at her home—would throw a feast worthy of royalty.

So besides the steak and porchetta, there was—following a lovely cream of pumpkin—butterflied lobster from Palawan, fresh and steamed with lemon butter sauce, of which some guests helped themselves ooh-ing and ahhing to a second or third serving, and then dish after dish, from the foie gras, caviar pie, and artichoke dip passed around for pre-dinner cocktails to the arroz caldo served with tokwa’t baboy in the wee hours to guests like myself who stayed on after the singing and the dancing.

At any Ching and Philip party, dancing would start even before the dessert is served. That’s because there’s always a band, often a trio of singers, accompanied by a pianist and organist, or, depending on the size of the party, there are two bands playing in different areas of the house, such as the main dining hall, the epicenter of most gatherings, and the lanai and garden, stretching all the way to the pool, as well as—if it’s a really big party—a piano soloist in the living room.

It was no different at the party thrown in honor of Tina and Stanley, but there was a lot of singing involved with no less than the birthday peeps getting the show started with a rendition of the 1990s ballad “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang.” And as in every party, the 1969 Neil Diamond classic “Sweet Caroline,” a favorite of Philip’s, as performed by the band fronted by three ladies, turned the party up a notch with everybody up on their feet swaying, dancing, and singing along, “Sweet Caroline, dun dun dunnnn, good times never seemed so good…”

It helps that the Cruz residence is a worthy space for good times, as magnificent and inviting as the châteaux or manor houses at Cap d'Antibes in the South of France. The house is a feelgood place, predominantly white and lush in every corner with indoor trees called suamei, wrightia religiosa, otherwise known as water jasmine, which grows up to around five feet with twiggy branches, thin leaves, and pendulous flowers that emit a scent similar to jasmine.

It’s as memorable a venue as any and I’m sure Tina and Stanley had the best time, so did we, especially Philip and Ching, and the all the others who love them, including Lito and Kim Camacho, Nikki Teodoro, Nikolas and Kelly Phren, Alice Eduardo, Yiouri Augousti and his daughter Kifu and her husband Patrick Coard, Millet Mananquil, Bing Taojo, Susan Joven, Jojie Dingcong, Puey Quiñones, Patrick Rosas, Kenn Alfonso, Melvin Uy, Paul Cabral, Keren Pascual, Celine Lopez, and more.

There’s nothing grander than a party put together for the love of friends and friendship. Tina, who spent 25 years in Barcelona, away from home, returning only in 2009 to manage her family’s Sulo Hotel, a Quezon City landmark, could not have articulated it better than when, acknowledging everyone’s presence, she said, “We’re very grateful that we have family and friends who love and care for us.” In turn, Stanley said, “I feel the love and friendship from this group of fun-loving people who genuinely care for us.”