MANILA, Philippines - What’s Christmas without family and what’s Christmas without a family tree? Surely, you do remember, once upon a Christmas, your favorite childhood tree, one filled not so much with trimmings as with memories that warm the heart on a cold Christmas morning.
Dusit Thani Manila celebrates Christmas this year by asking some families to decorate a Christmas tree and give love on Christmas by adopting a favorite charity. Dusit’s “Family Tree” is about bringing families together to relive a most cherished tradition. Each family has an endearing Christmas story to tell. Like the Aldanese family, who says there’s no better way to show your love this Christmas than by giving a sweet part of you. Sweet guy, this Vince Aldanese, who brought to the Philippines the most delicious chocolates you will ever taste on earth — the Villa del Conte Italian artisan chocolates. Yes, peace on earth and good chocolates to all men! As for the peripatetic Christine Cunanan of Travelife, Christmas is coming home to be with family, wherever you may be. For Bing Carrion, Christmas is a time for giving back till it hurts. For the De Venecias, who stopped putting up a Christmas tree after one burned down their house and took away the life of their precious daughter KC, Christmas is for sharing, no matter how painful the memories. For the Jacinto family, the angels of music, Christmas is for praying and playing together. For the Llamas family, who’s behind the entertainment company Wilbros Live, Christmas is a beautiful, never-ending symphony. For the Yaos, Lucerne’s gem of a family, Christmas is all about giving time for family and for our less fortunate brothers. And for the Villar family, the season is about providing a livelihood project for marginalized families not just on Christmas but for the rest of their lives.
For these families, with or without a tree, it’s surely going to be a ‘treefic’ Christmas.