Holidays at Filinvest City

It’s really Christmastime in the city!

The Garden City Central Business District of Filinvest City, Alabang kicked off the Yuletide cheer with the launch of its holiday campaign entitled “Everything is Christmas at Filinvest City.”

Spectators witnessed the annual Christmas Musical Light Show, a magnificent display of over 35,000 Christmas lights installed at the River Park and a grand fireworks display as a teaser for the Christmas activities happening at Filinvest City for the whole month of December. The night dazzled with performances by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and Bituin Escalante. 

Filinvest City project head Don Ubaldo said, “Eventually, we want to make Filinvest City your Christmas destination not only for the south but for everybody in Metro Manila and elsewhere. For Filinvest City, we’re proud to call ourselves a Garden City. We’re really encouraging the people to come out and experience nature through our River Park.”

As the “Christmas Capital of the South,” Filinvest makes everything much easier and more convenient for families and group of friends to enjoy what the season is all about with River Park, which gives them a lot of great al fresco dining options like Market Basket, Chef’s Barrel, Ashikawa Ramen Bangaichi, Mati’s Meats and Bread and Starbucks.

Ubaldo added, “River Park is a good preview of what we will be doing for the rest of the Filinvest City. We have plans to improve the park system. So expect in the near future that we will be extending the park system to the rest of the city.”

There’s a lot more in store for shoppers this season at Filinvest City. Get serenaded by MYMP on Dec. 28 at River Park stage.  Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus and your other favorite Christmas characters happening at the River Park on Dec. 27 and 28. The Christmas Musical Light Show runs daily until Dec. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with 30-minute intervals at the Festival Supermall River Park. The grand fireworks display is scheduled every Sunday at 9 p.m. Admission is free. 

Filinvest City is a prime development of Filinvest and only a 15-minute drive from Makati. 

(For more information on its special events,

call 846-0278 loc. 7093 or visit www.filinvestcity.com.)

An SM Aura Christmas

A merry SM Christmas was launched at SM Aura Premier’s  Christmas tree lighting ceremony that became a visual feast for the guests.

An unforgettable night treated guests to a masquerade festivity and a dance exhibition of the great Christmas holiday classics performed by Airdance.

This Yuletide season just got colorful as artist Olivia d’Aboville presented The Giant Dandelion art light installation blooming at the SM Aura Skypark lawn. Until Jan. 16, customers may freely walk at the Skypark to see close to a hundred colorful giant flowers made from recycled water bottles.

Christmas is also a time for giving back through SM Bears of Joy. For only P200, customers may get one of those cute cuddly bears to keep, and the other will be donated to the SM Aura Premier’s chosen charity, Ang Bata at Kalinga. Visit the Bears of Joy booth located at SM Aura Premier.

EDSA Shangri-La, Manila celebrated its year-end Art of Wine event, a monthly cocktail that brings together the country’s celebrated artists and some fine wines. On this last event for the year, National Artist Arturo Luz was feted as he displayed some of his most prized works.

Alongside the master’s works of art, premium Swiss wines from Santis were on show as EDSA Shangri-La, Manila celebrated Swiss Week in the Philippines in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in Manila.

Paired with the rare and delicious wines was a Swiss feast by executive chef Warren Brown, comprised of assorted cheeses and charcuterie, river trout mousse with sour cream and caviar, melted emmental and mountain smoked ham croquette, potato rösti bites with gruyere and mini-Swiss carrot cake.

Guests were entertained with the performance of the Swiss Yodel Ladies, who flew direct from Switzerland.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)