Oh Christmas trees!
YOU know it’s officially the Christmas season when big establishments all over the metropolis start lighting up their wonderful Christmas trees of various motifs. Aside from being traditional décor, the centerpiece of many mall and hotel lobbies, these Christmas trees have become instant selfie magnets and group photo op backdrops for friends and families. But more than that, these trees stand for something more, something that tugs at the heartstrings of Cebuanos and their visitors in this season of giving. Here are four of these awesome Christmas trees.
Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu’s Silver Christmas Tree
STANDING at 32 feet or close to 10 meters, Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu’s silver-themed Christmas Tree radiates with undeniable opulence and beauty. It was launched and ceremoniously lit last Nov. 20 by Elizabeth Sy, president of SM Hotels and Conventions, Nishan Silva, hotel’s general manager, and Cebu vice governor Agnes Magpale.
The festivity was followed by a classical concerto by the University of the Visayas Chorale, soprano singer Zsari Vidal, soloist Angel Pialago, violinist Joseph Cimafranca, pianist Aimee Cruz, and top-billed by singer-songwriter Marki Stroem. (FSE)
Cebu City Marriott Hotel’s Sparkly Red Christmas Tree and Gingerbread Train
CEBU City Marriott Hotel stays true to its tradition with its six-meter 2015 Sparkly Red Christmas Tree, which stands beautifully alongside a life-size Gingerbread Train. Charlene Go, PR manager of Cebu City Marriott Hotel, said the tree carries a red motif that the hotel has always been associated with.
“Red is just something we always do every year. It’s what Marriott stands for,” she added. Better yet, the hotel’s Christmas tree was set up for a good cause. Go said the hotel has partnered with Crocs footwear to set up the Crocs Christmas tree project, an advocacy that aims to provide hygienic footwear for underprivileged school children under Children’s Joy Foundation Inc. and Children’s Haven Foundation. Truly, Marriott’s Christmas tree “ignites the red” this season of joy. (Angelica Fernandez and Joan Navaja, USJ-R Mass Comm Interns)
Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan’s ‘Christmas in the Sky’
The 21-foot Christmas tree inside the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan stands for two things: soaring high and new beginnings. With model airplanes hovering above, the tree, in part, symbolizes the growth of Cebu. But more than that, it carries that heartfelt message of renewal and rebuilding for those who were deeply affected by the past year’s tragedies.
Hanski Garcia, marketing communications officer of Waterfront Hotel Mactan, explains: “Our tree is like one province with people holding on to one another to move forward, while the planes stand for the Filipinos who are soaring high. That’s why we call it ‘Christmas in the Sky.’” Garcia added that giving back to the community has always been part of the hotel’s advocacy, having reached out to a barangay in Olango Island, a remote sitio in Lapu-Lapu City, and a day care center in the Poblacion. (Angelica Fernandez, USJ-R Masscom Intern/Foto by Nimrod Aro)
Three Christmas Trees at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino
The annual Christmas Tree lighting festivity of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino was filled with the season’s spirit of gift-giving, as the hotel’s general manager Philippe Frugere happily announced their partnership with French non-governmental organization Children of Asia to be its beneficiary in the coming year. Through the group, the hotel will be sponsoring the education of five elementary schoolchildren, among others. The occasion was graced by Children of Asia’s Alain Delage and by no less than the dame of philanthropy in Cebu, Amparito Lhuillier. Capping of the evening was a series of enchanting tunes performed by choral group Voices of Cebu. Three trees grace the lobby: two green and one red. Life-size toy soldiers stand guard, while two sets of toy trains run along tracks around the green ones. (FSE)
