Business Entrepreneur Celebrates Birthday Party In Style

By JOHNNY M. PECAYO
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, MANILA-U.S. TIMES
www.manila-ustimes.com

Photos by Romeo M. Balboa, MUST Chief Photographer,
and Renee Felicia Balboa

LONG BEACH, CA -- The stormy weather and the incessant drizzling the night of January 5 did not deter the business associates and friends of Josie Jones from attending her birthday party at the Grand Ballroom of the well-appointed Marriott Hotel here.

"It was a double celebration -- Office Post Christmas Party and my birthday party," quips Josie Jones, RN, President and CEO of three healthcare companies -- Admiral Home Health, now on its 14th year of operation; Admiral Hospice Care, celebrating its 4th anniversary; and Alpha Hospice Care, the newest business to join the growing group of companies under the stewardship of this veteran administrator, who is supported by her vice president and CFO Danny Bautista, and about 125 other healthcare professionals.


"This is an annual event that we do for our employees as post Christmas Party that normally coincides with the birthday of Josie," Danny Bautista told the MANILA-U.S. TIMES. "I am so glad and proud to be a part of the 'Most Competent' home health and hospice companies, staffed by medical professionals," added Bautista.


Once a guest enters the Marriott Hotel ballroom, the beautiful centerpiece -- fresh flowers adorning the tables with matching table cloth and napkins -- cannot escape his or her attention. They were too eye-catching not to be noticed.

The dinner was preceded by a prayer of thanksgiving for a blissful business operations, followed by a brief, yet meaningful message from Ms. Jones, acknowledging the key people in attendance and thanking them for their unwavering support to the business endeavor.

After dinner, social dance numbers followed, after which glasses of wine were raised for a toast, as Josie blew the candles on her birthday cake, while the Midnight Motion Band, led by Willie Manacsa and Vocalist Chelsea Emata, played appropriate accompanying music to the delight of everyone.


Professional Dance Numbers

Noticeably, the crowd of about 300 people stayed glued to their seats with their eyes focused on the dance floor as emcee Dennis Gimenez started to announce a special floor show of professional dancers, showcasing their electrifying dancing prowess to the total satisfaction of the guests, while MANILA-U.S. TIMES chief photographer Romeo Balboa and her daughter, Renee Felicia, did their best to document the whole proceedings through their lenses.

CHELSEA EMATA (left), performs with the Midnight Motion Band, led by Willie Manacsa (partly hidden). Chelsea has recorded two albums, with the first album released in Europe and the second album to be released in the U.S. and in the Philippines. She does commercial modelling for Mercedes Benz, Power Dodge and Superior Nissan. -- JP


The opening dance, a group dance -- Vienesse Waltz by the starball dancers, trained by Tom Dang -- instantly mesmerized the captive audience. This was immediately followed, in succession, by Andy Dominguez and Jeannine, doing the Salsa Medley and Argentine Tango; Rumba/Jive medley by Dennis Gimenez and Natalya; Blue and Jive medley by the Starball Dance Studio dancers; Jive by Thalea and Albert; Samba by Tom and Christy; a solo performance by Jeannine dancing the Belly; Jiri and Petra, who have won many championship awards in dancing, did the Cha-Cha exhibition dance; Mambo by Tom and his group; another Cha-Cha number by Thalea and Albert; and then Jiri and Petra excellently performing the Paso Doble.

The precise execution of footsteps and body sways were uncomparable, and will definitely go down in memory lane.

But it did not stop there. The ooohs and the aaahs from the appreciative crowd became stronger when the excellent hostess of the evening, Josie Jones, capped the celebration with special dance numbers -- from Salsa, Swing, Cha-Cha, Blues, Samba and all -- changing male dance partners on the dancefloor as fast as one could change her clothes, without losing graciousness, composure and style.

These, and more, are the reasons why people look forward to this annual event, year after year.