MEDIUM RARE 

With first lady Liza A. Marcos sounding the call on video to greet Sebastian Chua a happy birthday, the ballroom erupted in applause and cheers. She said it was a “little bird” who told her the magic number, 82. Where I sat facing the door, a parade of VIPs, most of them dressed in red, justified the guests’ rubber-necking exercise from the time they made their entrance.

Himself outfitted in red, Basty, always a man of few words with many friends who come from everywhere, waved at them, thanking them and inviting them to have fun. “Enjoy, enjoy!” he encouraged them. Fun came in the form of a grand Chinese lauriat at East Ocean Palace served buffet style. The dinner was followed by musical entertainment and the highly anticipated raffle of prizes from Basty’s storehouse of goods ranging from luggage, grooming sets, smartphones, to a 43-inch TV.

There were VIP tables for Senator Cynthia Villar, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano, Nikki Coseteng, Ariel Querubin, Tessie Sy Coson, Chavit Singson and his young wife, DILG Assistant Secretary Beth de Leon, and Antonio Trillanes, whose sights are set on the mayor’s office in Caloocan City. On a video screen, Ping Lacson aired his greetings, explaining that he was on a mission out of town. Someone said it was “unusual” that TSC stayed for nearly an hour.

I first met Basty when he was a paper supplier — one of the largest in Asia, until the world began consuming less paper. Then he switched to marketing high-tech stuff like robotic vacuum cleaners and air fryers, and popularized the brand name Xiaomi. Leave it to Basty to create a market or enlarge it, his nose is sensitive to which way the wind blows.

As usual, Basty’s daughter Sandy played host, this time with her daughter beside her. Clarita, Basty’s ever faithful chief of staff, had her hands full showing guests to their tables.

When it was time to call it a day, Basty’s guests went down to the lobby to wait for their cars. There they were greeted by a shower which Robert Uy of East Ocean interpreted as a hopeful sign of good luck for everyone present. Amen, I said, and especially for dear Basty.