Garden Club
celebrates Christmas

The theme of this year's Christmas Party of the Negros Occidental Garden Club was “Daigon”, the celebration of a truly Visayan Christmas. The club members spent weeks rehearsing and preparing their colorful Filipiniana costumes for the big day. Choreographers Ofelia Gonzaga and Robert Asong made sure that the participants would be in tiptop shape for the performance.

The day of the party, the grand ballroom of the Bacolod Pavillon Hotel was spruced up with Christmas decorations and sparkling lights to give the venue a Christmassy ambiance. The club members and guests glittered with elegance and glamour as they arrived on the scene.

The first portion of the program was the formal induction ceremony for the 2014 NOGC officers, led by Lourdes Mercado, with Rep. Mercedes Alvarez of the sixth district of Negros Occidental as inducting officer and guest speaker. Francis Velez read the message of Vice Governor Eugenio Lacson.

Everyone savored the delectable dishes specially prepared by the hotel staff. Then the lights dimmed and the chorale began singing traditional “Daigon” songs, so typically Visayan. The audience applauded the entrance of the Holy Family, the shepherds and the angels. This was followed by the adorers bringing their Negros ‘organic' farm products. The tableau on stage was absolutely breathtaking with a lone bright star lighting the manger where the baby Jesus lay.

Each group presented oh-so-familiar Visayan dances that enthralled the crowd, who kept applauding their performances. The entire presentation ended with a traditional Noche Buena as club members brought in baskets filled with our favorite kakanins and fruits.

The show was so good that Mayor Monico Puentevella asked the club to have a special presentation at the Bacolod plaza so Bacoleños and Negrenses could witness and enjoy the fantastic show.

Take a bow, guys!*