MANILA, Philippines - Bastille Day on July 14 is the National Day of France. In Cebu, it was celebrated a few days earlier with the presence of French Ambassador Gerard Chesnel who came with his wife Ning Chesnel and their daughter Kirana.

The event was hosted by Les Amis de la France president Michel Lhuillier and his wife Amparito Llamas Lhuillier. She was chic as ever in black gossamer.

For venue, they chose one of their restaurants, Pino. It offers nouvelle cuisine the Filipino way. Joel del Prado holds sway there and on this occasion surpassed himself.

Guests gathered at the ground floor supper club which also doubles as wine cellar. Liveried waiters served flutes filled with fine champagne Moët & Chandon and dainty canapés. At a given moment, everyone was asked to go up the magnificent staircase to the chandeliered hall for buffet dinner.

Leading the way were Ambassador Chesnel and family. They were welcomed by Judge Romulo Senining, secretary/treasurer of Les Amis. It was free seating but VIPs were assigned specific chairs. Thus, Ambassador Chesnel was between two beauties?Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, and Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmeña.

Congressman Eduardo Gullas and his wife Norma Selma Gullas were along the same line as Michel and Amparito as well as Les Amis directors Mayen Tan and Honey Loop. Vice Mayor Micheal Rama came in a bit later and settled near the Countess of Movera (that?s a pen name).

Honorary French Consul Richard Forteau sat across newlyweds Honeylet and Louis Thevenin, overall director of the French language and cultural center of Cebu. Alice Gauny, the school?s director, was present, too.

Program

A brief program highlighted the occasion. The national anthems of the Philippines and France were sung a capella by two pretty girls in elaborate Filipiniana attire, Rhea Mae Judilla and Rhina Rose Echivarre, granddaughters of Judge Senining.

Ambassador Chesnel was all praises for them, most specially for the faultless French pronunciation, and the number of stanzas from ?La Marseilles.? In his speech, the ambassador took the opportunity to announce that Honorary Consul Forteau will soon relocate to Paris and that Michel Lhuillier has been appointed to the position.

Aptly enough, Michel will set up the Honorary Consulate in the spacious Les Amis facility at the QC Pavilion along Gorordo Avenue. The place is abuzz with activity as a large number of students have enrolled for French lessons in various levels.

Aside from Louis Thevenin and Alice Gauny, Les Amis counts with Alexandra Hammacher, Stephanie Pages, Mary Ann Ferrugia, Samir Bellouz, Amiel Mingay, and Loveth Abad, who is most welcome as a volunteer. Thanks to gallant Frenchman Micheal Jourdan. Les Amis in Cebu counts with a web site.

There is a membership drive for Les Amis de la France in Cebu, and Louis Thevenin has many plans. The organization recently tied up with the Arts Council for a series of French cultural events that were very successful.

The guitar-playing Ferre brothers packed quite an audience, as did the film showing of ?La Vie en Rose,? both held at SM City Cebu. More than 7,000 went to La Fete de la Musique, held at Paseo, on a very rainy night, and for that thanks are due the owners Edu and Jaja Rama. Then came a festival of French films at Ayala Center, some of them registering SRO.

Friends of France in Cebu would like to metamorphose into an Alliance Francaise. It will come in due time, Michel and Amparito assure us.