Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Firefly in Malipano!
By Jojie Alcantara
Witerary
WHAT will it take for you to shell out P800 for a night's trip to Pearl Farm Resort's Malipano Island at 5 p.m. and participate in this summer's biggest beach party dubbed FIREFLY?
Answer: Food, Fiesta, Firedancers and Fireworks! Passenger boats took loads of guests to an hour trip towards Samal's premiere holiday resort.
Welcome party leis were handed on arrival, including sparklers for us to light anytime. Malipano was filled with people dressed in cozy island attires and colored flipflops. The stage was set on the white sand beach, with Niko Villegas in a surprising blonde hair as animated host of the evening.
Long buffet tables were filled with delicious culinary dishes, from Japanese to cocktails, appetizers and main meals, the best part of which is sponsored drinks on the house like chilled San Miguel Beer, Coca-Cola and iced tea! Now, thumbs up for that! While Niko announced winners to raffle draws from time to time, great prizes were given away courtesy of major sponsors North Face and Tadeco Livelihood & Training Center.
Other gift certificates were from sponsors Waterfront Insular Hotel, Marco Polo Hotel and Eden Nature Park & Resort. At the same time, guests treated themselves to free Henna Tattoo and Card Reading in booths.
Congratulations to a successful party by Pearl Farm Resort, with co-presentor Globe Platinum, and other major sponsors Unilever Food Solutions, Nenita Quality Foods, Nestea Iced Tea, Midtown Printing, Wind & Wave Davao, Tadeco Livelihood & Training Center, Damosa Gateway, Swiss Deli & Restaurant, Marina Tuna, Zesto, H2Zero, and Rene Barbier Wines.
Honestly, I joined the party to be reunited with my favorite Drumbeaters -- the Gruppo Tribale (La Carlotta) who have safely decided not to hand me the drumsticks during performance, but to Teddy Palma Gil instead.
The last time I did in Liquid Bar's garden area, I and the bongo drum fell off the stage into sharp, thorny bushes (yes, you didn't hear about that because one, everyone was too drunk to care, and secondly, I never wrote about it -- but darn it, now you know). Look closely at one of the drums, and you can still see my bloody hand imprint they couldn't wash off.
After Take Four Band, the Gruppo Tribale rendered a fantastic performance wearing nothing but sarongs looking like perspiring tribal headhunters off for some nightly sensual ritual of reverberating percussions that filled the night air.
Everywhere on the beach were gyrating bodies, sweating off in the night heat, while fire-dancers (including Pond's model Celine Le Neindre) and fire-eaters wowed the crowd with such heated displays of performances. As if it wasn't enough, Bed's DJ Cocoy Puyat took us for a dizzy spin of danceable music that lured everyone on the dance shore.
Prominent people in the party were Congressman Tonyboy Floirendo, Vice Governor Anthony Del Rosario, Ms. Inday Del Rosario, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Lian Ramos, Anflocor's senior vice president for south operations Ricky Floirendo, Rochelle and Romano Venutti of Swiss Deli, Patrick Baron of Unilever Food Solutions, Ms. Chai Abaya of San Miguel Beer, Cyril Carreon and Michelle Alcomendras of The North Face, Albert Garcia of Coca Cola, Glenn Enginco of Philippine Beverage, Ms. Laurice Soriano of Damosa Land, and Mr. Alfie Atega of Midtown Printing.
While I have identified so many faces and friends, the space isn't enough for photos taken by my partner ace photographer Rhonson Ng to fill you in on sights and sounds of that eventful night.
After the climactic fireworks display in the sea, our energies have ebbed, and while the party continued for some, we took the calm boat trip back to Davao at midnight.
Kudos to Pearl Farm GM Juan Roca and the nice staff who invited us over. Now, this is what I call an ultimate beach party.
React to witty@info.com.ph, more at www.witerary.com
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 16, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
