Tycoons Gather to Celebrate Felix Ang’s Birthday in a Godfather-Themed Bash
As the CATS Group of Companies celebrated two milestones this year, it was only fitting that a two-part affair marked the merriment. On October 28, the CATS Group celebrated its 30th anniversary alongside founder Felix Ang’s 60th birthday at the Grand Hyatt Manila. The party had a guest list of around 800 invitees, who took part in a The Godfather-themed fête.
The first half of the evening focused on the company and its legacy, highlighting its luxury brands and its milestones from the time it was established in 1989. Locally, the CATS Group helms brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Harley-Davidson, Jaguar, Mazda, and Land Rover.
Auto Nation Group chairman Greg T. Yu opened the evening with these remarks: “In the three decades that have passed, we have witnessed it all: success and failures, highs and lows, celebrations and crisis… everything. Yet one thing we never did was to give up. We persevered and found solutions to problems and overcame challenges.”
The company's COO, Frankie Ang, paid tribute to both the CATS Group and his father, Felix: “Just as I went through my own stages of infancy, childhood, puberty, and adulthood, CATS also had its own share of learning, experimenting, mastering, and pioneering. And as I reach the age when my father founded CATS and as I look back at my father’s achievements the past 30 years, I only hope that my next 30 years would be as amazing as his.”
As the night progressed, the program shifted to focus on the man of the hour, Felix Ang. While guests enjoyed a dinner prepared by the hotel, they were also treated to a number of musical acts, starting with a medley by the award-winning international performing artists Emmanuelle Adda. A rendition of the Godfather theme song was performed by George Yang, and this was followed by Gia Ang’s number, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Close friends, partners at work, and family members showed their appreciation for the CATS founder through anecdotes, performances, and speeches.
“I seized every opportunity as it came, even up to the point of sacrificing a formal education. Experience taught me the hard way, but I thought to myself, if I don’t make it, there is no turning back; I just had to keep moving,” Felix reflected during his turn to speak. “CATS is the greatest legacy of my life, having gone this far. It is such an amazing journey and I consider myself very blessed.”
Afterward, guests danced the night away to performances by Gary Valenciano, Tony Boy Cojuangco and The Glass Onion, and Kate Castillo.
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