RIYADH, 16 November 2004 — To mark its first anniversary, the Special Events Productions (SEP) will host a simultaneous search for outstanding young Filipino men and women in a fund-raising dinner show at the Philippine Embassy on Thursday.

A personality-talent-and-beauty competition, the Ginoong Pilipinas at Binibining Pilipinas — Riyadh 2004 will present 18 contestants in a two-hour extravaganza showcasing the exquisite beauty of ethnic cultures in the Philippines, and underscoring the project theme “Preserve the environment, save humanity.”

“With this ‘Ginoo-Binibini’ (Mr.-Miss) project, we are targeting more than two birds with one stone,” said Rannie Basanta, SEP’s chief executive officer.

Basanta said that while the event is meant to raise funds for the group’s humanitarian projects, it will also honor talented young Filipinos and entertain their parents, friends and the community in general.

The “Binibini” candidates are Nicole Alcantara, Revelyn Carandang, Angelique Magsino, Ronalyn Manuel, Trissa Pescasio, Meg Tanael, Grace Velasco, L. A. Venturina and Christine Vetus.

The “Ginoo” hopefuls are Jay Bautista, Boy Bayabao, Ivan Bermudez, Francis de la Merced, Lester Justiniano, Gerald Mudlong, Mike Quiambao, Joshua Rondilla and Anjo Suarez.

Winners will receive cash prizes, trophies, plaques, choice gift items and round-trip plane tickets courtesy of Philippine Airlines. A special feature of the contest is the Internet Choice award. By logging on to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SEVOTE, anybody can have a say in boosting the winning chances of their favorite candidates.

The major sponsors are Sony, Al Rabie-La Glace and Manila Plaza.

Sultan Garden Center, Forever Living Products — Sonya Collection, Nivea, Power Horse Energy Drink, WRJ Forwarders, Peking Restaurant, Canon, Hacienda Ristorante and Philippine Airlines are secondary sponsors.

To add spice to the event are SEP singers and dancers under the tutelage of Richie Civil, the overall director of the entire show.

The “Ginoo-Binibini” project is produced by SEP in cooperation with the CAMERAderie Photography Club, TFC, the Philippine Embassy, and the Computer Society of the Philippines, in charge of the computerized scoring system on pageant night.

An organization of Filipino professionals and artists, SEP is primarily engaged in promoting appreciation of Filipino culture by discovering and polishing the outstanding talents of the youth in dancing, singing and ramp modeling.

For tickets and inquiries, the following SEP officers may be contacted: Jessica Haddad, 05054-85773; Marilyn Lavina, 050704-5859; Erwin Serrano, 05029-17108; and Abs Alim Yassin, 05025-97660.