Huang-Teves: Party on the wild side

ADORABLE siblings Jiro Marcus and Maxine Alyssa Kong jointly celebrated their 1st and 10th birthdays, respectively, with a delightful Madagascar-themed celebration at the Davao Convention and Trade Center.

“We decided to have a safari theme because we wanted the venue and ambiance to be lively, colorful and festive. Also, it’s easy for the kids and adults to come in safari-inspired outfits as animal prints are the rage right now”, shares charming mom Jennifer. Together with supportive husband Mark, they also have a lovable 8-year old son Jian.

Jiro’s birthday celebration likewise coincided with his baptismal rites, which was held at the Sacred Heart Parish earlier in the afternoon.

Serving as Jiro’s godparents were the Kong couple’s close friends Jean Go-Libiran, Seline Co, Yuri-Love Yuson, Jean de Guzman-Brito, Christine Marie Kong, Edgar Arquiza, Dave Unlay, Wesley Bangayan, Benjamin Nazareno, and Dennis Arquiza.

With Davao’s premier party organizer, Annie Paz-Lim, and her hardworking team overseeing the entire party, guests were whisked away to an exotic Africa-like atmosphere as they entered the ballroom. Why, even Annie and her dynamic group was in full safari regalia!

Madagascar’s endearing characters Marty the zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, penguins Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, lemur King Julien XIII, and chimpanzees Mason and Phil were prominently displayed in the grand and vibrant backdrop.

On the other hand, the talented Emily-Lim Cimafranca’s scrumptious cupcakes, which featured the junior versions of the popular Madagascar characters, were artistically arranged into two towers, one each for the beloved birthday boy and girl.

Guests were treated to a variety of eat-all-you-can food booths from Allegro Ice Cream and Potato Corner to a snack bar teeming with favorite childhood sweets and chips. The exciting game booths were also festooned with zebra and cheetah prints and decorations.

Meanwhile, brightly-colored animal organizer bags were the much-appreciated souvenirs.

One of the highlights of the party was the well-applauded song and dance performance of Maxine and her good friends Francheska Danielle Tan and Jenika Carlein Lao. With only a week to practice, they did an amazing rendition of Charice Pempengco’s “Louder”.

Judging from the guests’ happy faces that night, Jiro and Maxine’s party on the wild side was a roaring success!

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com