The Shangri-La Fort illuminated further as ABS-CBN stars and executives placed heart at the center of the occasion by raising funds for the Bantay Edukasyon, the Bantay Bata 163 program that is actively in search of scholarship grants.
The artists walked the famous red carpet in modern Filipiniana to honor the legacy of the late philanthropist, G Diaries host and the Leading Lady of Ecotourism, Gina Lopez and to mark the 65th year of the Kapamilya network in the business.
Hosted by Billy Crawford the program opened with Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano spearheading the Gina Lopez tribute to the tune of “I Believe I Can Fly.” Followed by a toast led by ABS-CBN Chairman Mark Lopez and President Carlo Katigbak to cap off the heart-warming feature to the founder of Bantay Bata 163.
In commemoration of ABSCBN’s 65 years in the service of the Filipinos worldwide, a medley of the most timeless theme songs from some of the best Kapamilya shows were then brought to life by the exceptional performances of divas Pilita Corales, Dulce, Vina Morales and young performers Moira dela Torre, Lala Vinzon and Elha Nympha. Idol Philippinesparticipants Lance Busa, Lucas Garcia, and Zephanie Dimaranan also joined the power vocals namely Jed Madela, Erik Santos, Regina Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Arnel Pineda, Martin Nievera, and Gary V in the star-studded production number.
The night ended with a little more recognition, which started with real-life couple Richard Gutierrez and fiancée Sarah Lahbati, who took home the NU Essence’s Couple of the Night award and Bea Alonzo as Metro’s Best Dressed. Chie Filomeno was named Ever Bilena Red Carpet Stunner. While the freshest and most gorgeous young ladies also stole the show with their special recognitions, the new Darna Jane de Leon won the Belo Beauty on the Rise award, while Maymay Entrata was named Belo Belle of the Ball award and finally, Chie Filomeno was hailed as the Ever Bilena Red Carpet Stunner.
The second ABSCBN Ball was seen via livestreaming in ABSCBN Metro Channel and Metrodotstyle. Fans worldwide also celebrated passion and love as they tweeted non-stop about the event, pushing the official hashtag #ABSCBNBall2019 to the top of the day’s Twitter trending list. (N. Wang, MS Showbiz)
