The awareness program turned out to be the La Mesa Nature Park and the La Mesa Watershed, a site for the filtration plant and a reservoir which is the prime source of drinking water for the 12 million residents of Metro Manila.

In the last nine years, people involved in the Save The La Mesa Watershed Project of Bantay Kalikasan have successfully rehabilitated the badly denuded forest by replanting the massive watershed with 78 different species of trees including narra, kamagong and molave.

Private citizens and companies do their share through donations.

A R45,000 contribution will already assure the protection and maintenance of one hectare of La Mesa, or equivalent to at least 400 trees, in the next three years.

Likewise, a portion from this amount will be set aside to purchase gears for the forest rangers of the watershed.

Ironically, there was little mention of the La Mesa project that evening… apart from the portraits of eight men mounted inside Rockwell Tent showing the La Mesa Nature Park in the background.

In the absence of a clear explanation, the photographs taken by Sara Black, Steve Tirona, and Aldwin Aspillera spoke volumes about the natural beauty of La Mesa and the pressing need to protect it.

Talk of the town, however, were the eight gentlemen (who are the subjects of the photographs) honored by Metro hiM for their significant contributions to their respective fields.

Perhaps Metro hiM is as much about style and sophistication as it is about advocating genuine causes that the magazine came up with a short list of "Platinum Men."

As editor–in–chief Carlo Tadiar said, a key aspect of the magazine is putting the spotlight on men who have chartered their own course in life and inspired change.

Thus a true gentleman, by Metro hiM standards, is one who manifests great responsibility to the society we live in.

Unfortunately, only four of the eight made it to the event and went up the stage to accept the recognition from Tadiar and ABS–CBN Publishing president Ernie Lopez.

A good mix of politicians, celebrities, artists and businessmen comprised the Metro hiM Platinum Men.

These were: Odyssey Music and Video president Jay Fonacier for supporting Filipino musicians by providing an Internet platform that will make their songs available anywhere across the globe; contemporary furniture designer Milo Naval who creates usable art from indigenous materials; Cebuana Lhuillier CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier who shares the vast resources of his company to fund sports programs.

A groundbreaking discovery of a new and accurate tool for diagnosing gastro–intestinal diseases landed microbiologist Dr. Windell Rivera in the list.

This medical breakthrough does not rely on conventional microscopy thereby cutting down on time and cost in detecting the problem.

The hectic schedules of multi–awarded actor/product endorser Piolo Pascual and TV director Laurenti Dyogi did not permit them to attend the affair.

Piolo Pascual, whom we heard was in the U.S. at that time, was lauded for his roles in the movies and television that bring focus to ordinary men and their extraordinary struggles.

Rounding out the Platinum Men is pro–life advocate and newly–elected Senator Chiz Escudero; and Victor Consunji, the multi–tasking engineer, contractor and photographer who "embodies the well–rounded and refined gentleman." Both missed the event.

Capping the evening was a menswear fashion show featuring collections from such popular brands as Folded & Hung, Dockers and Levi’s, Memo, Soda Man by Blue as well as key pieces from Daniel Hechter, Paul Smith, and Ben Sherman.