CEBU, Philippines - The inimitable Pilita Corrales, “Asia’s Queen of Songâ€, graced this year’s Balik Cebu Welcome Dinner and Handumanan Cultural Show, performing a spectacular set of standards which have endured through the years.
Also featuring performances by Maria Dona, the La Mer band, 10G Troupers, the USP-F Badlisiw Dance Company, the Abellana National School Dancers and more, the annually celebrated event was held in The Terraces in the Ayala Center Cebu last January 17, with close to 500 guests and balikbayans present during the occasion.
The evening also featured the guest appearance of Miss Cebu 2013 Namrata Neesha Murjani, along with Miss Cebu 2013 1st Runner Up Therese Christine Llamada, 2nd Runner Up Maria Gigante, 3rd Runner Up Patricia Ann Estuart and 4th Runner Up Ely Rose Apple Angcon.
A presentation dubbed “Babaeng Sugbuanon†was a featured highlight during the occasion, with the said presentation focusing on some of the province’s more notable and influential Cebuanas.
As part of the Balik Cebu set of activities, the Balik Cebu Welcome Dinner is now on its tenth year in playing a pivotal role in welcoming tourists and balikbayans to Cebu in time for Sinulog.
Hosted by the Ayala Center Cebu, the event certainly did its part in contributing to the increase of tourists in Cebu for the Sinulog celebrations, in tune with the core foundations which had brought the Balik Cebu Program into being.