Christmas with a cause: Vice Ganda, Ben&Ben usher in festive season

MANILA, Philippines — With Christmas just a few days away, many have begun their Christmas celebrations last month and early this month by lighting their uniquely designed Christmas trees or tapping some star power to their causes in this season of giving. 

Here are some of those Christmas tree lighting events or Christmas-related events in the past weeks: 

Lights of hope: Green Christmas at Joy~Nostalg 

For the second straight year, the Joy~Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila is mounting the symbolic kick-off to the holiday season with a meaningful twist!

Simply dubbed "The Joy of Giving," the hotel's tree lighting event this year aims to spread the love and light to those in need. Joy~Nostalg has partnered with the Liter of Light movement espoused by social entrepreneur Illac Diaz, coffee label Nespresso and the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) Foundation Inc. in supporting the livelihood of underprivileged communities.

"Gifts are simple, it's either you like them or not. We are gathered once again to celebrate the spirit of the season — not just in giving, but to effect change in other people's lives. We spread joy when we show compassion and generosity.

"This season, we use recycled decors as well as bring solar lights to zero grid communities. Believe me when I say that they are located an hour-and-a-half from the hotel so they're still part of the metro. While giving back to these communities, we also take care of the environment in the process," said general manager Odette Huang.

Nespresso coffee capsules are made from aluminum. As artisans of hope, the NVC Foundation Inc. upcycled over 3,700 empty capsules into Christmas decors and made the discarded coffee grounds into compost fertilizer. The decors now adorn the hotel's Christmas trees in the lobby.

This year, the hotel is also celebrating its 14th year anniversary. It has partnered with Liter of Light to hand out over 100 solar lamps, and another hundred from donations, to residents of Sitio Catmon in Brgy. Wawa, Rizal. Proceeds from a hotel-mounted bazaar, together with pledges from hotel employees, made it possible to come up with the solar lamps to be given away.

"We bring lights to those who have no access to electricity. This initiative was born in the Philippines but this campaign is now being rolled out around the world. We hope to light more homes and more communities in the years to come," said project deputy director  Karen Capiz.

To date, the Liter of Light campaign has brought brightness to the once-dark and gloomy 350,000 homes in over 15 countries worldwide and that number is increasing year by year.

As a five-star serviced residence, the Joy~Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila is managed by the Accor hospitality group.

Vice Ganda graces Araneta City Christmas as Fiesta Carnival reopens

Times Square is, once again, awash with the lights that beckon the Season of Hope as Araneta City recently held its annual tree lighting event. 

Graced by Vice Ganda and the Binibining Pilipinas queens with performances from Seth Fedelin, P-pop group Vxon, Lyka Estrella, Taylor Sheesh, and "Showtime" kids Argus, Kulot, Jase and Imogen, the festive evening event filled the venue with shoppers and spectators who wanted to be the first to witness the spectacle.

The 100-foot gigantic tree is adorned with 7,500 warm white LED bulbs; 20,000 pieces of white and gold glossy Christmas balls; 250 pieces of red and gold stars; 3,000 pine garlands and 300 pieces of sputnik and snowflake decors. 

Complementing the overall design is a golden carousel that was placed underneath the tree, signifying the return of the Fiesta Carnival to its original home.

First lit in 1981, Araneta City's giant Christmas tree has become the soul and symbol of all Yuletide celebrations inside the city.

"With the country having months-long celebration of Christmas and the festivities that come with it, the Philippine holiday season is like nowhere in the world. And definitely, Christmas in Araneta City is like nowhere else in the Philippines. Being in a place of memorable Christmas nostalgia, we want to make the public feel that Araneta City is their home this Christmas," said Marjorie Go, Araneta City's assistant vice president for marketing.

Apart from the giant Christmas tree, this season also marks the return of the Fiesta Carnival arcade. The carnival attraction reopens in its original location in the property right across the equally classic Araneta Coliseum. The renowned indoor amusement park, which is the biggest in the metro, will feature new rides and attractions, as well as some of the offerings that '70s to '90s kids used to enjoy.

"Araneta City is a place of memorable Christmas nostalgia, and Fiesta Carnival is one of them. It has been a go-to place of the whole family each Yuletide season, and we're really excited for the comeback of this indoor amusement park. We know that it will really bring a memorable experience, and stories to tell to younger generations," added Go.

Voices of the hearing-impaired bring cheer to Lucky Chinatown

Students from the Philippine Institute for the Deaf and Lucky Chinatown Hotel lit up the Tree of Hope through an intimate gathering at the hotel's fourth-level reception area.

"Binondo is the oldest Chinatown in the world. In this time of giving, we will be spreading love and hope to the community. We are ready to welcome everybody back to Lucky Chinatown after the restrictions of the pandemic. This will be the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas is a feeling and not a specific date on the calendar," said general manager Jeremy Russell Go.

As part of its social responsibility and outreach program, Lucky Chinatown Hotel has upcycled all the discarded soap from its hotel occupants into something useful for students of the Philippine Institute for the Deaf. The said learning institution for the hearing-impaired has been the beneficiary of the corporate social responsibility project for the last two years.

This year, the "Soap for Hope" initiative donated approximately 300 kilograms of discarded soap bars from the hotel's operations. The continuing sustainability efforts has helped reduce the bulk of hotel waste.

"In a world where hope is more vital than ever, our ceremony symbolizes a collective wish for brighter days and shared joy," Go said in his closing remark.

During the tree lighting ceremonies, the students from the Philippine Institute of the Deaf regaled guests and attendees with songs and dances. The performing students went home with bagfuls of toys and goodies from the hotel.

Ben&Ben, Jose Mari Chan collaborate on Uniqlo Christmas jingle

Last November 30, two music acts from different generations lent their powerful voices to come together and create a jingle as they lit a giant Christmas tree at the East B parking lot in Bonifacio Global City. 

Original Pilipino Music (OPM) icon Jose Mari Chan and the nine-piece folk pop band Ben&Ben serenaded the guests of Uniqlo as the Japanese lifestyle brand lit its Christmas tree in BGC. 

Chan sang some of his timeless and iconic Christmas songs including "A Perfect Christmas" and "Christmas in our Hearts." 

Ben&Ben also took the stage to serenade their fans and the public who were not able to get inside the activity area but can still get a glimpse and hear them sing their hit songs. 

Uniqlo's Christmas tree features images of its customers taken at the Holiday Nook from its global flagship store in Glorietta 5 and photos from online entries.

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