Makati lights up this Christmas with hope and recovery
Despite seemingly intractable price inflation, raging wars in the Middle East and Europe, can we meaningfully celebrate this season of the birth of Jesus Christ by spreading goodwill, lighting bonfires of hope and peace, and lessening conflicts and rancor?
If the Philippines has the world’s longest and also perhaps the most enthusiastic festive Christmas season, do you know the central business district of Makati City has become its center of gravity and most enthusiastic exponent this year?
Among these initiatives is Makati’s beautiful, multi-sensory Facebook/IG/TikTok-worthy Christmas light displas for the country’s biggest New Year’s eve outdoor party on Dec. 31 along Ayala Avenue.
Celebrating hope and the year of post-pandemic recovery are among the objectives of Makati CBD’s Christmas initiatives, said Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) group head of marketing and communications for Corporate, Estates and Malls Christine Marianne “Chrissy” Canullas Roa and her other executives about their company’s plans for making Christmas in Makati unforgettable.
Here are some things to expect this holiday season in Makati from its developer Ayala Land, also in time for its 35th Anniversary (congratulations to both the company’s new 54-year-old president and its first-ever female CEO Anna Ma. Margarita “Meean” Dy and also to its newly-retired president/CEO Bernard Vincent “Bobby” O. Dy as new senior adviser to chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala):
• The Ceremonial Lighting of Christmas Decors at Ayala Avenue. Congratulations to Ayala Land for recycling and refurbishing of last year’s giant parols. Chrissy Roa said this is their fourth year of recycling the decorations. The parols were lit up on Nov. 7, 2023 and will be on display until Jan. 14, 2024. Roa revealed that they lowered the Christmas lights so that people could take TikTok or Instagram photos with them, especially during the Sundays when Ayala Avenue becomes a “no cars” pedestrian area.
• The Festival of Lights at Ayala Triangle Gardens. Set to be launched next week, this “promises a mesmerizing spectacle unlike any other.” An annual tradition now for 15 years, this well-loved Filipino Christmas display at Ayala Triangle Gardens will offer an immersive experience of never-ending lights that span more areas of the gardens than ever before. It will last from Nov. 14 to Jan. 14, transforming the gardens into a happy and colorful wonderland. There will be three light installations, each one a shimmering spectacle of color and brilliance:
1. “The Kaleidoscope of Lights,” a show composed of three Christmas medleys. The first musical medley features festive Filipino Christmas tunes, the second medley is an original K-pop inspired composition, and the last medley uses big band instrumentation inspired by the music of Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams. Expect other delightful features.
2. Situated at the northern side of Ayala Triangle is “Wish Upon a Light” – a magical wishing pond. Inspired by the wishing stone, visitors can write their own wishes or dreams onto the magical pond. The pond is created using an interactive LED screen that magically lights up when one writes wishes or dreams to be shared with everyone and simultaneously flashed on a wall.
3. The final part of the journey is “Liter of Light” — a beautiful display of plastic liter bottles turned into lights to power up a Christmas art installation by Leeroy New, in collaboration with Arte House and Illac Diaz.
• Marche de Noel. This will be a Christmas bazaar in collaboration with the Embassy of France (thanks to French Ambassador Marie Fontanel), located at the Makati Street Meet at Paseo de Roxas. Enjoy a unique shopping experience featuring a variety of international and local artisanal products. Merchants include Paris Delice, Truffle Ph, Araro Gelato and many more.
• Choral Competition at Circuit Makati on Dec. 9. This annual tradition is coming back to fill Circuit Makati with festive carols. In collaboration with the local government, the contest showcases the incredible talent of students from various schools in Makati.
• Come Home to Christmas: A Holiday Concert. Now in its second year, the public is invited on Dec. 16 to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater for this performance. 900 tickets will be given for free to those who purchase from establishments at Ayala Malls Circuit. The artist lineup includes the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, Bituin Escalante, Arman Ferrer, Soprano Lara Maigue and Sofia Zobel Elizalde’s Steps Dance Project and their Nutcracker company.
• Dec. 31 New Year’s Eve Street Party at Ayala Avenue. Chrissy Roa said it’s been 24 years since the epic turn-of-the-millennium NYE celebration at Ayala Avenue. They said this event “will welcome the New Year with a spectacular show.”
Not yet announcing the names of scheduled entertainers, they said you can expect performances from the country’s biggest names in the entertainment industry combined with the best merchants in Makati and “a spectacular light show” to make this New Year’s Eve countdown unforgettable.
Some Makati executives are even comparing this to the massive political rally last year, which filled Ayala Avenue with reportedly over 700,000 people just before the election.
May the Christmas lights and celebrations in Makati be replicated throughout the Philippines this season, in order to promote holiday cheer, peace and goodwill to all!
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For more updates visit the social media pages of Make It Makati on Facebook and Instagram @makeitmakati. #MakeItMakati
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