A season of passion, hope & inspiration
December, more than any other time of the year, is the time when hope is in the air, when people have a new year to look forward to, and the atmosphere is warm with good thoughts and deeds amid the cool weather.
At Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Christmas is always a special time to nurture people’s passions for the arts and, this time, for the entrepreneurial spirit, too. As part of its annual holiday Passionfest, the country’s newest central business district held a series of events that highlighted its business philosophy and vision of being a city with a soul and a place for passionate minds.
Hope Is All Around
This year, the activities centered on the concept of hope. The Hope Drive, as part of Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, sold mini replicas of the BGC Christmas installations that you see around the city (the two sizes went for P150 and P200) with proceeds of the sale going to the beneficiaries of BGC and Trees Company, maker of these Christmas décor who had employees and their families hit by typhoon Ondoy.
An Ideas Forum was also hosted by entrepreneur and TOYM awardee Illac Diaz on Dec. 11, featuring entrepreneurs who spoke to students on how to improve their business skills. Anna Meloto-Wilk, president of Human Heart Nature; Melissa R. Yeung, executive director of Got Heart Foundation, Inc.; Patricia Anne Flores, VP for marketing and communications of Bejeweled Slippers; and Reese Fernandez, president and co-founder of Rags2Riches, talked about their experiences in building their respective businesses.
What made this forum — and the entrepreneurs — different is that all four speakers are from socio-civic groups, providing employment to Gawad Kalinga residents, among others in need of employment.
Young Entrepreneurs
The forum was followed by the two-weekend Hope Fair staged at Bonifacio High Street (BHS) featuring their products and those made by six socio-civic groups such as Got Heart Foundation, Card MRI, Rags2Riches, Human Heart Nature, Bejeweled, and Children’s Hour; plus the highlight are the selected student groups, such as those from Taguig City University, who created flip-flops or jandals using retaso to dress them up; PUP Taguig with their “Entreps Café” concept; students from Ateneo de Manila University, who sold Sabon ni Juan; students from UP Diliman with The Jungle Kids, who made Happy Hoodies for kids and packaged them in animal-print boxes printed with trivia about animals; House of Revival with their “revived” clothing and accessories; DLSU Manila with their “BLISS” blanket/jacket with oversized sleeves that can be also turned into a pillow; and students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, who sold MM’s Tsoko-Keyk, which doubled as a showcase of the Philippines as a tourist destination. Other products that were also seen at the Hope Fair were those conceptualized by Entreps Cafe, House of Revival, Jandal’s Fashion, and others.
As the emerging business district of the country, the message of BGC was clear: to inspire ideas and encourage young people to go into entrepreneurship because they are, after all, the hope of tomorrow.
Noel Kintanar, head of commercial operations of Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC), expounds on this year’s Passionfest, “BGC, being the ‘home of passionate minds,’ supports and nurtures new ideas and concepts. We welcome creativity/innovative thinkers here.”
Anna Meloto-Wilk, whose father Tony Meloto started Gawad Kalinga, quotes her dad on the Filipino spirit and being part of the answer rather than being on the sidelines. “I believe in the immense potential of the Filipino…now we are part of the solution”.
Voices Of Hope
As a fitting final act to the series of Passionfest, two “Voices” concerts were held last Dec. 13 and Dec. 20, featuring the UP Madrigal Singers and The Tux. It’s the Madz’s second time to perform at BGC and the first time for The Tux. Like any concert held at BHS, foot tapping to the music turned into a rousing applause.
Composed of Popo Suanes, Manny Aquino, Monet Silvestre, Carlo Bulahan, Jeric Mariano, Dante Sibug and Eric Antonio, The Tux is known for musical numbers that combine lush harmonies and a dash of wit, humor and comic punches during the show. They never fail to entertain their audiences. “We were most happy and excited to perform to the discerning crowd of BCG who are most likely lovers of fine living, art and music,” says The Tux.
The concert was a reunion of sorts to the group whose members have reached a point in their individual careers that required them to give up the free time they had for music.
For the Passionfest concert, The Tux sang Christmas carols and old favorites, starting the night with Kiss Him Goodbye, followed by We’re in This Love Together and other classic and all-time favorite Christmas songs.
It was a night that reminded everybody why The Tux has stayed in the music scene for so long. Starting as an all-male jazz octet, the group says, “The sound of a cappella from an all-male group is different from mixed groups. It’s more challenging in that males are able to sing falsetto for a cappella arrangements so this is another plus factor. We are not just doing recitals, but a show that allows for humor and witty exchanges between members and the audience.”
The season of joy was indeed felt by all, thanks to the stylish but understated décor all around BGC, especially at Bonifacio High Street. As the season comes to a close, Bonifacio Global City — with its continuous pursuit of excellence and providing cities and people an example of how a balanced life can be lived — gives us a sense of hope for the coming year.
