A Legacy of Fine Clothing: CEO Group's 40th Anniversary

Last night was awesome (that's a couple of days ago). 

If you're a guy like me who often frequent department stores to buy shirts and formal wear, you've probably heard of brands like SAHARA, WallStreet, Criterion, Ultimo, CEO Plus, Arrow, Van Heusen, IZOD and ESPADA. Little did we know that these brands actually came from the same company. This is CEO Group, and they are celebrating their 40th year in the business. 

The lovely husband and wife who founded the company in 1978 Mr. Benito and Madame Huy Kun Lim took the stage and told us about their humble beginnings. Starting with popular brand SAHARA which he even wore that evening. I honestly felt like the company had their history involved in the lives of Filipino men as they have been furnishing shirts, formal wear since then. I distinctly remember my Dad introducing me to this kind of clothing, which he oftenly wears to work and I'd imagine having them even at a young age. Through the years, they also started to come out with other brands WallStreet, Criterion, Ultimo, CEOPlus, Arrow, Van Heussen, IZOD and ESPADA. I started wearing them during college, then at work, up til now. I thought I was jumping through competition because I often switch with Van Heussen and Arrow, I didn't know they actually came from the same company. Imagine that!

To start off the festivities, they had us enjoy a full fashion show showcasing the current designs they carry for the brands and even had some of their past models (retired athletes) walk too wearing the exact same shirts they wore during the 80's, which was remarkable because they didn't look old.

The shirts all looked amazing, it fits right that you can carry it well even without a coat. 

  

I love this so much I'll look for it in their store. I've always wanted to wear a blue number in events and this fits the bill.

It doesn't really have to be expensive, the things you see here are all RTW but looked so good on the runway, much like a designer would actually make it.

From the colorful, to the classics, they've got about anything that you would need for that perfect occassion. They've been doing this for years!

Now this isn't the end of an era but a beginning of an even greater promise to Filipino men all over the country that YOU WILL be dressed appropriately the next time you get another shirt, coat, trousers from the company that has got the most trusted brands under their wings. Judging from what we saw that evening, it remains true, I wouldn't want to see our gents dressing up lousy in the next years, and the family has taken their members in the operations so you're sure you get what you fashionably deserve the next time you visit their stores or get one off the shelves of leading department stores througout the country.

Congratulations to the whole CEO Group! You've made your mark, and still creating a legacy for fine clothing - all for the Filipino. 

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Archery Right In The Heart Of Makati: KODANDA

We went to Makati Cinema Square a few days ago to try one of the things that I have on my bucket list. I'm quite sure someone has got this on theirs too. This is the Kodanda Archery Range. When you get to Makati Cinema Square, just go down in the center and you'll see the range at the edge of the stairs. It's one of the few places in Metro Manila where you can try the sport in it's fullest form. I'd like to say that this is easy, but when I held that bow and arrow last week, I had a hunch it was going to be difficult. There are a few rules to follow, something similar to etiquette in other sports. The perk in this place though is that they've got air conditioning and it's indoors so you don't have to worry about the wind like in outdoor ranges.

Before you start, you'll have to sign a waiver because of course.. if you shoot someone else on the range.. that'll really hurt!

Suiting up is easy. I think the only thing they don't allow is wearing slippers because of safety reasons. Other than that, you can just fasten the strap on your waist and go shoot. Remember to put your feet in between the line and stand up sideways. Two whistles means start shooting, another whistle means you can pick up the arrows back from the target.

The range has got around 5-7 lanes, so if you have friends with you it's the best activity to vent out happiness, stress or anger with. I felt really calm all throughout though. I laughed profusely at how some of my shots went above and beyond the target, but I had some good ones which landed the bulls eye. They can set the target to 5, 8 or 10 yards away but I'd recommend the nearest one so you can master the basics first. Once you get the hang of it, you can ask them to put the target a littler far and get comfy with it again.

The tip of the arrow is sharp but it's not like the ones you draw on paper or see in cartoons. It's also got a notch on the tail end of it and it snaps into place on the bow's center. You can use a leather protector for the fingers but I didn't like how it felt so I used my fingers to pull the arrow. You can do that too.

My friend Reg made easy work of it. Here he is mounting an arrow on the bow.

The Bow wasn't as light as I thought it would be. It was a little heavy that sometimes, you'll want to put it down if you're not shooting arrows or in between.

The one thing you'll need is the protector that would be wrapped around your forearm. It's there to protect you from the whipping action of the bow. Believe me, you'll need it. Oh and if you're right handed like my friend here above, you'll need to close your left eye so you can take a look at the target with the right one.

Make sure you also take note on how he pulls the bow. It goes up way in front of his chin and you have to release it within 2 seconds so your other arm won't get tired. I had a problem with that because it takes me a while to pinpoint the target. There's a small adjustable notch on the front that helps called the "Sight". The staff helped me adjust that and indeed, it made my shots better.

I felt a little sad though because I thought I was going to be better at it but no, I only had 3 bulls eyes on an hour of archery. I thought I had all the experience because I am Sagittarius. It would have been better if I went back a few more times so I can practice. The people there said it's not that bad for a first timer. They were too kind.

For those who want to get serious about Archery, Kodanda Archery Range will make it easy for you. Aside from the range services, they have tutorials that you can opt for which will cost you 6,000 bucks. It's a one on one thing with the instructor plus you'll get 10 sessions with that price. An hour of archery costs around 550 bucks but I think it'll be better if you get the sessions first. The professional grade bow and arrow set would cost around 25K with the accessories included, but I suggest you try out the range first. I superbly enjoyed my time in Kodanda Archery Range and it's just around a kilometer walk or less behind Greenbelt 1. I'll surely go back when time permits and of course... I'll bring my friends along!

Need something to do these days? Maybe a round of archery would get your interest. You can get more information on the links below.

For more information about their stores:

Kodanda Archery Range

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kodanda.archery@gmail.com