Each wing of the banquet hall can be configured as an event space.
A three-generation family affair emerges in the South.
There’s a new event space in town—out of town, to be precise, as it is nestled in the green open acres of Sta. Elena, Laguna. The opening of Lakehall last May signified the first phase of Nena’s Sanctuary, a retail destination that will transform the shopping experience by bringing it closer to nature.
Sitting on 28,000 square meters of the Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate founded by Rico and Nena Tantoco almost 30 years ago, Lakehall is a beautifully appointed banquet hall perfect for holding weddings and events of varying sizes. Donnie Tantoco, son of Rico and Nena, is spearheading the development of Nena’s Sanctuary, along with his wife Crickette and their three kids.
Until June 30, Lakehall is showing visitors the many ways it can be configured for retail and leisure. At the entrance, installations by stylists like Zenas Pineda, Barbie Pardo, and Anton Barreto welcome arrivals and invite them to imagine the space. A revolving “restaurant takeover” started with Margarita Fores, was followed by Rico’s Café and will end the month with Bizu. Apart from that, market pop-ups include brands like Hindy Weber Everyday, Dough & Grocer, Recess, Tili Dahli, 50 Shades of Dough, and Joel’s Place, which is the Tantocos’ new specialty grocery concept.
The three grandchildren led the launch of Lakehall, touring guests around the property and its serene environs while sharing their vision for Nena’s Sanctuary, which will add a café, flower shop, grocery, home store and more to complete the retail-garden experience. Nena’s Sanctuary, an actual bird sanctuary, is home to 121 species, making fireworks a no-no in Sta. Elena.
The dynamic between the three younger Tantocos is an interesting one, as they seem to jive cohesively as a solid family business unit. Vogue Philippines asks them: what was it like like transitioning from siblings who grew up together to working as a team in different roles?
Camille Tantoco-Ng shares that working together professionally has its challenges. “Personally, our relationships with each other are very strong. Working together, our styles couldn’t be more different, but we make extra efforts to collaborate with one another,” she says. “As much as possible, although it is sometimes unavoidable, we try not to bring our work to the dinner table.”
The three grandchildren led the launch of Lakehall, touring guests around the property and its serene environs while sharing their vision for Nena’s Sanctuary, which will add a café, flower shop, grocery, home store and more to complete the retail-garden experience. Nena’s Sanctuary, an actual bird sanctuary, is home to 121 species, making fireworks a no-no in Sta. Elena.
The dynamic between the three younger Tantocos is an interesting one, as they seem to jive cohesively as a solid family business unit. Vogue Philippines asks them: what was it like like transitioning from siblings who grew up together to working as a team in different roles?
Camille Tantoco-Ng shares that working together professionally has its challenges. “Personally, our relationships with each other are very strong. Working together, our styles couldn’t be more different, but we make extra efforts to collaborate with one another,” she says. “As much as possible, although it is sometimes unavoidable, we try not to bring our work to the dinner table.”
Her twin sister Nicole Tantoco de los Reyes notes that they are not like Succession’s Roy siblings in any way because of the fair way they have been treated. “When we were growing up, our dad didn’t have any favorites but at the same time he was able to make each of us feel seen and loved, by taking us on one-on-one lunches or trips with him. But it wasn’t just the lunches or trips,” she explains. “He really pays attention with such genuine interest and wonder, not only to us, but to everyone he encounters.”
Christian, the youngest of the siblings at 26, describes, “In the household, we were brought up not to compete with each other but to support each other. Luckily, how it worked out is we all naturally have different interests and talents.”
Their roles within the company fell to them as a matter of course. Camille, the practical and most business-minded one, handles the administrative work and budgeting, but is also the one who deals with people the best, gifted with natural charm and a sharp sense of humor. Nicole is the bookworm who crafts narratives with words, but is also a skilled researcher who comes up with the insights and forecasts.
Christian, as his older sisters would say, is the most artistic and visionary of the bunch, hence his role as the creative director who conceptualizes marketing campaigns, events, videos, and photo shoots. “We’re always blown away by his ideas, and he is a natural leader and my sister and I recognize this and let him take the lead because this is where he shines,” Nicole says. “I think he has an emotional maturity which is one of his biggest strengths.”
The three of them were not just handed over the reins but were inducted into the Rustan’s omniverse and the life of retail from the time they were born. “We were always going with our parents to their site visits. When our parents were launching their hypermarket business, we were there during construction, during the day before the opening, and at the opening itself,” Nicole remembers. “Our family lives and the business have always been interconnected.”
“They would use us as kids in their print ads and video materials for the company,” says Camille. “When I was in college, I spent one whole summer interning for our supermarket business. Part of what I had to do was as inspiring conceptualize marketing campaigns or as menial as stamping boxes of gift certificates the whole day.”
Christian, meanwhile, did his rounds in the family business working for the duty-frees and department stores. “I did internships in Shopwise under corporate planning. I have undergone training in management at Rustan’s and held a management position at Adora for a few years,” he says. “But the most important thing for me was sitting in meetings and learning the confidence to contribute to a meeting because that’s where collaboration and the magic happens.”
Their great grandparents, Rustan’s founders Bienvenido and Gliceria Tantoco, still loom large in the lives of the younger generation. “The heart of our family and business has always been our great grandparents Lolo Benny and Lola Glecy. They shared a deep faith in God and they never ceased to wonder at the beauty of the world and of their own existence,” Nicole says.
“Lolo Benny always said that you get 50 percent for showing up,” Camille says. “We can’t always be 100 percent or feel on point all the time but it helps to show up and try to work your way from there.”
“I learned the value of “malasakit” from my dad and mom. The heart of any company is its people,” says Christian.
So what can we expect as the Tantoco youngbloods step into the roles they carved out for themselves in the family business?
“We want to live our tagline “Beyond Four Walls,” not only for our customers but for our employees. No more cubicle life with long hours sitting at a desk,” Camille states.
“We all work in marketing and what we strive to do is give a fresh and creative take on how communications and events are done in the Philippines,” affirms Nicole.
“More than ideas and concepts, it’s about values. And hopefully the type of values I can instill from my generation are the values of community and inclusivity,” Christian attests. “It’s really important to be around people who resonate with your values, and hopefully Lakehall can be a gathering place for that. To me, spaces have to be community-centric and more than just a product.”
In their eyes, Nena’s Sanctuary is envisioned as a community where nature is revered, people are valued, and life is celebrated in all its forms.
