Today, a week before Christmas, we hope to focus on the true meaning of this blessed season. But first, I need to make sure everyone on my Christmas list is merry!

Thank goodness my long list is almost completed after my Watsons shopping spree. As part of its Holiday 2017 campaign, Watsons is offering a huge selection of gift ideas to brighten up the season. They even have a Mix & Match Promo for the ultra-savvy shopper. Buy three gift sets worth P99 each for just P279, or three gift sets worth P149 each for just P399! It’s practically a one-stop, gift-shopping destination!

If you’re an SM Advantage Card member, every P500 single-receipt purchase of any Christmas gift set entitles you to one e-raffle entry for the chance to be one of 50 lucky winners of 20,000 shopping points.

Shopping bargains

For more shopping bargains, the Noel Bazaar Series 2017 is on until today only at the SMX Mall of Asia. From its beginnings as a weekend bazaar of a few merchants, this annual bazaar organized by Cut Unlimited has grown to several bigger locations. Now on its 17th year, Noel Bazaar mounts four events in three venues over the Christmas season.

Through the unwavering support of all its partners, Noel Bazaar assists the projects of the GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation, Inquirer Foundation, Gifts and Graces Foundation, Saints Peter and John Parish, Lingkod ng Potrero Foundation and the Noel P. Gozon Memorial Clinic.

Present during the ribbon-cutting ceremonies were Mel Tiangco and Rikki Escudero of GMA Kapuso Foundation, Mayose Gozon-Bautista and Justine Bautista of Cut Unlimited, and the rest of the sponsors. I was happy to join them and represent Inquirer Foundation.

Christmascape

It’s certainly easy to feel the spirit of Christmas with all the numerous Christmas decorations throughout the city. One of my favorite outdoor Christmas displays is the Pandora Christmascape at Bonifacio Global City. Created by Cyndi Fernandez and her Moss Manila team, the special Pandora Rose Christmas theme is a breathtaking wonder.

Pandora unveiled the much-awaited annual Christmascape with the launch of their new winter collection. As represented by the tree-lighting event, women can also light up their spirit with meaningful jewelry that will remind them to treasure themselves, their victories, their struggles and their stories.

The new Facets of Winter series collection pays homage to the glittering trails that light up an astral azure sky. The latest celestial-inspired jewelry is delicately hand-finished from beautiful, ethically sourced materials. Smooth planet-like sterling silver chips and star-shaped pendants, sleek spacers, hoop earrings and stackable rings would be stellar on any woman’s Christmas wish list.

The Christmas Spirit series-themed charms serve as sweet reminders of twinkling trees, delicate snowflakes and beautifully wrapped presents on Christmas morning—all blush-hued with a unique metal blend that’s simply party-perfect. For a more whimsical look, the series also captures colorful elements like stockings and candy cane charms.

The Pandora Rose creates a personal festive story and a beautiful color contrast inside the Sparkling Pandora Floating Locket in sterling silver, which is just like wearing your heart’s desires in a little translucent case.

Vacation planning

What’s some holiday merriment without any wine and bubbly? Beringer Vineyards recently held an intimate dinner with a number of travel writers and bloggers at Toyo Eatery to share some insights from a recent survey. Chef Jordy Navarra prepared a specially curated dinner for all, including visiting Beringer international managers Marcus Ingleby and Elise Greene. Katherine Yao-Santos, managing director for Happy Living Philippines, prepared wine pairings to suit the dishes.

The prevailing theme of the dinner was travel. In as much as we Filipinos love to travel, the Beringer survey shows that almost 60 percent of travelers believe that they could have maximized their vacations had they planned their leaves better. In response to the findings, Beringer has launched a campaign on the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, to inspire a holiday-planning revolution. Marcus also said that vacation planning is always better when shared over a glass of wine.

Inquirer at 32

As the year ends, I want to focus on wonderful milestones and celebrations, instead of challenges encountered. Topping off this list is the 32nd anniversary of Philippine Daily Inquirer, which the entire company celebrated just last week.

Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, president of the Inquirer and also my sister, delivered an emotional speech at the event, held at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. She rallied all employees of the country’s leading newspaper to continue living by the tenets of responsible and truthful journalism amid the looming change in ownership. She also thanked the editorial team for their efforts in realizing the newspaper’s goal of empowering the Filipino people.

Special birthday greetings go to Inquirer columnist and Philippine Tatler editor Anton San Diego. He celebrated his birthday at Manila House with the other December babies—Audrey Puckett, Mela Gozon, Maurice Arcache and Patty Chilip.

In closing, I’d like to invite everyone to the ongoing production of “A Christmas Carol” at Globe Iconic Entertainment Zone, BGC Amphitheater, Taguig City. The world-famous, Christmas-themed play based on the book by Charles Dickens revolves around the life of Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly encounters, brought to life by the music of world-famous musical composer Alan Menken.

Miguel Faustmann leads more than 30 well-known and emerging talents in the Philippine theater industry bringing “A Christmas Carol” to life. Franco Laurel is brilliant as the Ghost of Christmas Past. The production follows the debut event of Globe Live and 9 Works Theatrical, “Green Day’s American Idiot.” Joe Caliro, Globe Stores and Retail Transformation head, says the play is “perfect for the family” and is the “must-see show for the holiday season.”

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