Cebu Plaza Hotel hosts grand Santacruzan

Cebuanos, like most Filipinos, love fiestas. So on the very first Saturday of this merry month of May, Cebu Plaza Hotel played host.

Appropriately, the property’s beautifully landscaped gardens were virtually transformed into a town in fiesta, complete with colorful buntings and interesting tiendas offering a variety of local delicacies.

The day long activities begun with the much fun "Pinoylympics" that featured not-too-often seen traditionally rural games of piko, palo sebo, tumbang preso and luksong tinik.

The celebration of the holy mass at the nearby Lantaw Pavilion followed.

Just before sunset, the Santacruzan, the nation’s most elegant festival of all, begun.

The well-paced procession had 32 of Cebu’s lovely fashionable ladies dressed in Filipiniana-inspired long evening gowns by the island’s leading designers.

Teresin Mendezona, escorted by the Spanish honorary consul Jaime Picornell, was Reina Emperatriz. She looked so regal and ever so elegant in a Philip Rodriguez masterpiece of burgundy satin and tulle with gold-cut beads on a fitted bodice, a flowing skirt and a train.

Carmel de Pio Salvador, in a fully skirted floral champagne silk and tulle gown by Minnie Yuvienco, looked every inch the Reina Elena.

Reina de las Flores Sheila Reyes donned a Felix Yu creation, embroidered with exquisite garden flowers in rich fuchsia.

Immediately after the last of the sagalas made her way down the dramatic grand stairway of the hotel, the mini-caroza of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was beautifully decorated with flowers and ferns, borne on the shoulders of male devotees and surrounded by 35 adorable little girls who came as angels, was ushered amidst applause and cheers.

Next came the offerings. Impresario Val San Diego and his talented group did what they do best, authentically interpreted some old dance steps of Cebuano origin. Singer Chad Borja sang a number of poignant melodies.

A sumptuous Filipino dinner buffet plus the drawing of attractive door prizes was the final agenda of a fun-filled, highly educational day. Aissa de la Cruz, Cebu Plaza Hotel public relations manager, who never seems to run out of workable, innovative ideas, could not have asked for a better celebration.

Also let’s not forget that much credit goes to Clothes for Life Inc., a charitable organization composed of fashion designers, garment manufacturers and retailers, headed by its active president Albert Arriba, who pooled their talents and resources together to come up with a fabulous presentation that has become truly an occasion where Cebuanos can get together, and obtain a sense of kinship and community.