CHRISTMAS Day may have come and gone, but the joy of the festive season isn’t over. Make your way up to Marco Polo Plaza Cebu where everything continues to be merry and bright, not least of all the Christmas Tree of Hope which takes center stage in the hotel’s grand lobby.
Lighting the Tree of Hope is always a well-attended event with a full program. After the tree was blessed by Msgr. Jim Gorre, general manager Brian Connelly welcomed the guests and friends of the hotel who filled the lobby and even up to the second floor to watch the festivities. With this year’s theme of Christmas Around the World, performers from the Cebu Centre for Dance presented a medley of traditional and contemporary dances from different countries. The Fidelis Choir and GMA Artist Center’s Yasser Marta also sang renditions of Christmas songs.
The Tree of Hope is called so because it gives hope to less privileged Filipinos through the GMA Kapuso Foundation. Donations made by sponsoring a Christmas ball to be hung on the tree go to projects organized by the Foundation. It’s not too late to pitch in; donations through the Tree of hope will be accepted for another week, up to Jan. 2.
To make holiday gatherings even more special, the hotel brings back its Festive Buffet, serving traditional Christmas favorites like USDA roast beef, stuffed turkey, glazed ham, and the hotel’s superb chicken relleno alongside the international buffet spread in Cafe Marco. These mouth watering dishes can be pre-ordered to enjoy at home already complete with side dishes, also just until Jan. 2.