The historical six limited-edition Yoda chairs used by state leaders during the APEC Economic Leaders’ Welcome Dinner is up for auction today, December 16, 7:00 p.m. at Cobonpue’s Greenbelt showroom. Organized by UNICEF Special Advocate for Children Daphne Oseña-Paez in partnership with world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue, the auction proceeds will benefit UNICEF’s 1,000 Days campaign.
“After the APEC dinner, I received a lot of inquiries about the chairs the world leaders used,” says Cobonpue. “But I think they are so much more than just pieces of furniture to be sold at face value. They’re now a part of our history that can serve a better purpose,” he adds. Inspired from blades of grass, the iconic chairs are made from high-quality rattan reeds and manufactured in Cebu. For APEC, the chairs were rendered wider and taller with armrests and a swivel mechanism that enables one to turn effortlessly in both directions.
US President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III used the chairs that are up for auction. This will be the 4th installment of UNICEF’s Auction for Action, with the first three auctions having raised P8.2 million for children’s programs as initiated by Daphne since 2011.
“Giving children the best start in life is one cause that I staunchly advocate. Having such historic design pieces contribute to that cause embodies the perfect marriage of creativity and social consciousness that Auction for Action was founded upon,” says Daphne.
UNICEF’s 1,000 Days campaign seeks to increase awareness about the importance of the first 1,000 days in a child’s life. The campaign aims to reduce the mother and child mortality within the 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday. If given proper execution and funding, the campaign can have a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty and shape a prosperous society especially in impoverished areas.
“We’re very thankful for Kenneth’s generosity,” says Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Philippines Country Representative. “This auction will go a long way in ensuring more children can benefit from this life-changing UNICEF initiative.”
Support UNICEF’s 1,000 Days campaign and register for the auction, it is open worldwide and will be streamed live on the UNICEF website. Bidders must pre-register by visiting unicef.ph. or call 02 758-1000 for details. Interested participants can bid at the live auction or through SMS after a pre-registration process outlined on the website. Get updates on social media and follow the hashtag #UNICEFAuctionForAction.
