Several days before Christmas last year, we found ourselves at Fairmont Hotel in Ayala Center. In the ballroom, Niño Bautista met us and asked us to “feel at home.” It was a birthday celebration he was hosting for family and friends. We felt lucky to have been invited along with media colleagues Jojo Panaligan of Manila Bulletin and Ian Fariñas of People’s Tonight and columnist Jun Lalin.
Niño Bautista is the brain behind the successful BARGN Farmaceutici Phils. Co., a company engaged in the manufacture and distribution of wellness products under the brand name Cosmo. It has several products under that label – Cosmo Skin, Cosmo Whitening Soap –– that have made strong consumer acceptance that company is developing continuously other products.
With Nino that night was Red Gatus, marketing man of the company.
The tandem of Bautista and Gatus evidently has made inroads in the wellness and food supplement market that even Mercury Drug has recently invited the company to sell its products through its chain nationwide. But Bautista said he’d forever be grateful to Watsons for giving Cosmo products a break in the market.
Nino celebrated his birthday in advance. His real birthday falls on Dec. 28.
Among Nino’s guests were his parents, Rey and Paz Bautista, Ruffa Gutierrez, Cosmo Skin’s brand ambassador, and her parents Annabelle Rama and Eddie Gutierrez. Ruffa told the guests how lucky she was to be part of the Cosmo Skin family, which Annabelle echoed later.
Other guests were the Semerad twins – David and Anthony Paul – and chef Neilkhan Bautista whose Humbleger in Marikina is simmering to become a major player in the burger market.
Nino was grateful that his friends and family were there despite the horrendous traffic that night.
He turned 32 on Dec. 28.
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Creepy similarity
The entertainment industry became hyperactive with the sudden announcement by the 2015 Metro Manila Film Fest (MMFF) executive committee disqualifying the film Honor Thy Father starring John Lloyd Cruz in the “Best Film” award competition of the festival.
The film Honor Thy Father was expected by many cinema-lovers to run away with the coveted Best Film award.
Despite the strong outcry from the public and film industry insiders, the organizers refused to budge, further fueling speculations of cheating in the judging process.
There is a creepy similarity between the case of Honor Thy Father and Sen. Grace Poe, considered the front-runner candidate in the 2016 May presidential elections.
Powerful individuals with vested interest quietly moved to disqualify Honor and Poe because the two were perceived to great threats to their plans: of winning at all cost, preferably under the cloak of technicality and legality.
The electorate must be alarmed by this “elimination mentality” in the field of politics, now being used in the genre of film awards.
These days, it is difficult to simply erase the physical existence of a strong candidate as popular as Poe. So the option being used is to resort to legalistic ways, invoking technicalities and fine prints of the laws, even when these details were contrary to the intent, spirit and mission of those who crafted the laws.
