Running out of Valentine’s Day ideas? Don't hit the panic button just yet, men...

AHH, VALENTINE’S Day. That most dreaded time of the year…for men.

Oh yeah, we gals just love Valentine’s Day. Trust me guys.

Even if she says, “Oh I don’t care about Valentine’s Day. It’s just another commercial holiday thought up by merchandisers and retailers to get us to buy stuff and boost their sales after Christmas,” she doesn’t mean it. She expects you to give her a present, today. And if you do, she’ll be secretly thrilled.

So maybe she’ll say something like, “Ohh, you didn’t have to. I told you not to get me any gift.” DO NOT believe her. You WILL get added pogi points in that scorecard she keeps in her head, if you give her a cute or thoughtful present.

Even higher pogi points goes to the man who brings his lady out to dinner, or better yet, cooks her a meal. Why? Because food and romance are tied together like a happy couple. When you are satiated with a meal, your body releases dopamine, exactly the same neurotransmitters released by your brain when you are in love.

"Falling in love causes our body to release a flood of feel-good chemicals that trigger specific physical reactions," said Pat Mumby, PhD, co-director of the Loyola Sexual Wellness Clinic and professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "This internal elixir of love is responsible for making our cheeks flush, our palms sweat and our hearts race." (http://bit.ly/1cuOjFo)

Chocolates, for instance, also release dopamines in your brain, which is why when you eat it, you just feel good all over. It’s like a happy pill that makes you feel warm, content, and secure. (Royce’ Nama dark chocolates are just the best for me. But if you’re in the mood for more after-romance romancing, studies show that white chocolates release more dopamines in the brain, than ordinary milk or dark chocolates. Try out the Potato Chip Fromage Blanc for a whimsical sexy treat.)

Falling in love, eating chocolates - your brain releases the same kind of feel-good chemicals in your brain called dopamines. For that feeling of euphoria and added romance, get her some Royce' chocolates. (Photo from http://chocolateihaveknown.files.wordpress.com)

An alternative is to prepare a picnic dinner and spend the Valentine evening at Fort Santiago in Intramuros where the world-famous Philippine Madrigal Singers will be performing at 6:30 pm in “Sining sa Muling Pagbabago.” It’s also an art and photo sale to raise funds for the survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda. The best part is, it’s free admission! (Uncouples, dateless individuals, barkadas, and families are welcome as well!)

If you’re already in that stage where you go on vacations together, bring her to Tagaytay where the cool weather is conducive to lots of hugging and snuggling. (Discovery Country Suites is a favorite of mine. Aside from the awesome individually decorated rooms, the cuisine served at its Verbena restaurant has never failed to excite me.)

Or go for a staycation in the metro – I’m pretty sure there are a number of boutique hotels around your area just dying to host you and your honey.  (My personal getaway in Quezon City is Cocoon Boutique Hotel with its warm wood interiors and green theme. It’s also right in the heart of the food and dining area of Timog/Tomas Morato Ave. So you can check in early, park there, walk to a restaurant for your Valentine meal, then go back to your room for a late-night swim before uhm, bed.)

What about presents?

Treat her to a massage at home. (Photo from
http://www.gpatlas.org.au)

We gals love jewelry.  The sparklier and more expensive, the better.

Of course, if you’re still in the dating stage and not yet quite “a thing” with the girl in the accounting department, a cute bracelet with a set of charms will do the trick. (Check out Silverworks for their affordable silver jewelry or Promod, a clothing store which carries a lot of tasteful and chic bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. I love shopping there especially during sales.)

If you’re already “a couple,” a set of siopao pearl earrings would make a nice statement. It’s still easier on the pocket than jewelry from Tiffany’s – she will have to wait ‘til you’re married for that, or if you win tonight’s Superlotto – but tells her that you’re in this relationship for the long haul. (Go to your friendly Muslim alahera in Greenhills.  Ask your sister or gal pals for a personal recommendation.)

If you’re gifting your wife, please don’t give her a new frying pan, or a new washing machine unless she asks for it. I know husbands are already in the practical mode when they get to a certain point in their marriage, but trust your wives enough that they will tell you when they need those things.

For Valentine’s Day, however, aside from a big bad bling! you can also give her the gift of health. Why not treat her to her very own spa massage at home? She works hard at her job, she takes of the kids, too (as well as you, you big baby!), and thus, deserves to relax. Bundle up the kids and take them to your mother-in-law, and arrange a real therapeutic massage for the wifey. (Call Spa Works at 975-3255, 394-8674, (0917) 596-0011, (0922) 8320111. They bring everything, the massage bed, the spa music, and the therapeutic oils. Very efficient.)

Give her that youthful glow-present her with some
Blooming-G from Bausch.

While you’re at it, give her food and beauty supplements to keep her healthy and radiant. Lately, I’ve been hearing the ladies rave over Blooming-G, which was popularized by actress-singer Sunshine Cruz. I’ve always admired this girl for managing to smile and radiate positive energy even under the most trying of circumstances. And notice how her skin glows?!    

Blooming-G apparently is made of Borage oil, a type of essential fatty acid that contains high amounts of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), also known as omega-6. Basically it helps a woman retain skin moisture and protects skin cells from damage.

Florinda San Antonio, founder of Bauch Laboratories, underlines the effects of Blooming-G, not only on physical wellness, but on a holistic approach: “Blooming-G was developed to help today’s women live happier, more meaningful lives through its health and beauty benefits. When a woman feels good about herself, she gains the confidence to do more and standout. That is our goal; to improve the quality of life through products that are trustworthy”.

So remember that men - the key is to make your woman feel good about herself. And if she’s happy, obviously she will strive to make you happy as well. Ahem.

So ladies, enjoy this day. Say thank you to the men or significant other who make you feel wonderful crazy and in love. Be glad for the present and more time with your beloved.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! 

(This piece would've been in the BusinessMirror today, Feb. 14, 2014 in my Something Like Life column, but due to a huge volume of ads, was displaced. Anyhoo, thank you for always supporting us, dear advertisers! We love you!)

Her own moves

ON February 14, Valentine’s Day, the happiest girl in town was probably Cecile Ang, not because she had a special someone, but as owner of the Royce’ Chocolates brand locally, almost all the chillers in all of her stores were empty before that day was over. It just shows that Filipinos are die-hard romantics, and Royce’ is really one helluva popular chocolate brand over here.

Well, I must confess it is one of my favorite chocolate brands, as well. (The other one being Godiva’s dark chocolates. Mmmm.) I have probably gone through several boxes of Royce’ Nama Champagne, its bitter dark chocolates and the orange truffles. I even “steal” a couple of squares from my friend Ms. RP’s fridge whenever I pop over for a visit.

The first time I “met” Cecile was through a phone call years ago. She politely texted asking if I was free to take her call, and after I did tell her she could, she called me to ask my help in editing a lifestyle magazine/newsletter she wanted to put out for free.

I really didn't know who she was, but as I grilled her on the publication and why she wanted to put it out, and if she had enough funds to keep it afloat, it was only then that it dawned on me, as she humbly answered my barrage of questions, that she was the daughter of business tycoon Ramon Ang.

While I did turn down her offer to edit the magazine, I could tell she was a dreamer and had a lot of guts. I mean, who in her right mind would put out a free publication just because she wanted to write about food and lifestyle? But she sounded so positive about the whole idea, I wished her well. Gads, I wish I could be as positive as she was about the publishing industry.

When I finally met her in the flesh recently, she had already been running Diamond Hotel, a property her father acquired in 2005, just as Cecile had graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in European Studies. I was so surprised how young she looked! The Filipino expression “pinabili lang ng suka” came to mind. With her hair tied in a neat ponytail, her slight frame and her face sans makeup, she could certainly pass for a teenager. But there she was, at the helm of a five-star hotel.

“I think it is definitely an incredible advantage [to have my father who he is]. Of course not everyone took me seriously, especially when I was new and looked like a high-school student. You’d hear comments like COO [‘child of owner’] from random strangers, but I don’t mind, because I really wouldn’t be where I am now if I weren’t that. I just have to work extra hard to make sure I don’t disappoint.”

Cecile says her father thought that the hotel would be “good training ground” as it would enable her to meet all sorts of people from all walks of life. “Plus at one point I was very much a foodie, so the hotel seemed like a good fit.”

She describes her first year in the hotel as “very colorful.” As it was her first job straight out of college, of course her father took care to make sure she was well prepared to take on the duties as a hotelier. Cecile spent a year training by going around the different departments and learning about the functions of each hotel employee, from the concierge to the food servers, from the chefs and their cook helpers to the general manager’s secretary. Now president of Diamond Hotel, she is in charge of setting the direction for hotel policy, and overseeing the renovations and expansions of the establishment.

“In a hotel you encounter all sorts of guests and colleagues that there was never a dull moment. Every day was a fun learning experience,” she says about her first year.

Cecile says her father, whose sheer business acumen has made it possible for San Miguel Corp. to expand beyond the food-and-beverage business, has never given her nor her siblings “formal pointers” on how to manage a business enterprise. “But I think he leads us by example. My dad works 24/7 and is incredibly generous and friendly to everyone. I see how much he values everyone around him and it has taught us, his kids, to try and give back as much as we can to everyone around us as well. And, of course, slacking off is not an option.” Typically Chinese, each one of her seven siblings, down to the youngest at eight years old, have had to work during their summer vacations.

Cecile says her favorite childhood memory was going to the “slalom car races every Sunday as my father was also a champion racecar driver. I loved being allowed to ride shotgun during races!”

To relax, she travels when she can, “I like getting lost in a city and following random strangers around. It helps me gain a new perspective on things. On a normal weekend, since I have a lot of young siblings, every Sunday is a movie+California Pizza Kitchen day.”

Like many incredibly busy career people, Cecile has shucked novels for magazines—“I think my attention span has gotten worse over the years...but I’m a big magazine subscriber: Time, Newsweek, Business Week, Economist, Fortune, Forbes, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Monocle, Mental Floss and Gourmet. And I try to read a short story from McSweeneys, Alfred Hitchcock or David Sedaris every night before I go to sleep.”

Asked if she still has plans beyond managing the hotel, Cecile says she still “[likes] the business.” But most definitely she has started to stretch her own wings by going into other industries. She started on this path in 2009 when she successfully bagged the right to bring in Royce’ to Manila.

I ask her if ever we would get to taste the incredibly delicious ice creams of Royce’, and she says: “We are planning to open a bigger shop that will have Royce’ ice cream and chocolate drinks and baked goods. We are just looking for an available space.” Whooopee!

She says she has other business prospects up her sleeve but declines to reveal what these are pending the conclusion of negotiations with partners. “I am also looking for new challenges and hopefully I can do that this year....I am planning to get into another business but I can’t disclose it as of the moment.”

A chip off the old block maybe, but Cecile’s moves are definitely all her own.

(My column, Something Like Life, is published every Friday in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was published on May 6, 2011. Photo courtesy Asian Dragon)

The happiest girl today

...must be none other than Cecile Ang, daughter of Ramon S. Ang, CEO of San Miguel Corp. Why you may ask? Well it's because Valentine's Day has been extremely kind to this exceptionally talented young lady, and no, I'm not talking about her love life.

Check this out:


This was taken at about 5 pm today at the Royce' outlet in TriNoma. Its chocolates are almost sold out. The sales girl told me this was the first time it's happened to them, and when I asked if there were any more stocks coming in, she said there would be some sent over by the Greenbelt 5 branch. But a media colleague said, he passed by that kiosk, and all its chocolates were sold out also! I espied some boxes in the TriNoma branch's chillers, but the sales girl said these were already reserved and paid for.

Whoa! Either there are a lot of smart boys/men out there looking to impress their girlfriends/wives/mistresses, or the ladies have become demanding and more discerning in their tastes. Ahem. Sorry boys, bawal na ang Goya, Toblerone, at Cadbury's ngayon. haha ;p

(Cecile Ang, Royce' Chocolates' local franchisee. She is also president of Diamond Hotel, which is owned by her father, San Miguel CEO Ramon S. Ang. Photo from Philstar.com)

Of course, Cecile is none other than the franchise owner of this uber-hot Japanese chocolate brand, which has outlets also at the Power Plant in Rockwell and at Robinsons Place in Ermita. Cecile knows I'm a great fan of Royce', and I usually buy the Nama champagne chocolate and its dark chocolate variants.

I asked her last November when she was bringing in the brand's equally delicious ice cream. In an email, she said, "We are planning to open a bigger shop that will have Royce' ice cream and chocolate drinks and baked goods. We are just looking for an available space."

Yay! Can't wait.