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IT may be a bank located in the heart of Paris, but
its heart reaches out to the Philippines— with Hong Kong based BNP
Paribas CEO North Asia Claude Haberer as the facilitator of this
goodwill and generosity.
For the third year in a row BNP
Paribas—a European leader in banking and financial services—is
joining hands with the Cultural Center of the Philippines to stage a
musical extravaganza entitled “Virtuosos 2008: Voices Through
Time” (February 28) to raise funds for the CCP’s Young Filipino
Artists Scholarship program.
Right now the CCP is supporting
40 students going through college, and would like to increase that
number. Also part of the program is the considerable financial
assistance the CCP gives to the National High School of the Arts.
BNP Paribas, which is among the
world’s 15 largest banks and is No 1 in the Eurozone by market
capitalization, has had a tradition of fostering good relations with
the arts and culture in many parts of the world. And the tie-up with
the CCP is a further extension of that social outreach.
As far as the CCP is concerned it
has, of course, helped that CEO Haberer and CCP president Ness
Jardin have been friends for more years than they care to remember.
And the hard working and always dapper Jardin—set with the tough
task of making the CCP pay its way—is never shy of using his
well-connected circle of friends from home and abroad to come to the
aid of the CCP that serves as the nation’s cultural heart and
soul.
Says Haberer: “I have been
traveling to the Philippines for many years and have a deep
affection for the country. So I was more than happy to do what I
could to help the CCP which my friend Ness now heads. But, apart
from the social corporate responsibility aspect of the tie-up, it
also makes good business sense for the bank for it helps us to be
identified in the marketplace in a positive and meaningful way”.
With close to 140,000 employees
globally, BNP Paribas enjoys key positions in its three core
businesses: Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management and
Services and Retail Banking.
BNP Paribas has a presence in 88
countries and is firmly established in all the major international
financial centers. France and Italy are its two national retail
banking markets while all its businesses are present across Europe.
BNP Paribas enjoys a significant and growing presence in the United
States and strong positions in Asia—including the
Philippines—and in emerging markets.
In North and East Asia, BNP
Paribas (voted No 1 as the overall provider of financial services by
Asiamoney magazine) is organized around the dynamic regional hub of
Hong Kong and its business primarily comprises the core areas of
corporate and investment banking.
The gala concert at the CCP
Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (Main Theater) brings together soprano
Camille Lopez Molina, mezzo soprano Clarissa Ocampo, tenors Nolyn
Cabahug and Randy Gilongo, Berlin-based Filipino bass baritone
Jonathan Zaens, countertenor Mark Anthony Carpio, the Philippine
Madrigal Singers, Chiang Kai Shek College Youth Choir, guest artist
noted French bass baritone Jérome Correas, together with the
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) under the baton of Maestro
Josefino Chino Toledo, Ballet Philippines and Teatro Ambahanon.
This is the third of the virtuoso
concerts series, which started in 2006, first with pianos and then
orchestras. As Jardin pointed out: “This year it’s the turn of
the voices.”
For details, call the CCP
Marketing Department at direct line 832-3681 and trunk line 832-1125
loc. 1800-1808/ CCP Box Office at 832-3704. Tickets are also
available at Ticketworld outlets in National Bookstore.
E-mail: bizzfizz_98@yahoo.com
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