On a bright and joy-filled day, little Solana Emilia Huang Gandionco was lovingly welcomed into the Christian faith through a baptism ceremony held at the St. Francis Xavier Chapel of the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The ceremony was officiated by Fr. Celso Magbanua Jr. — the same priest who married her parents, Gio and Patty Gandionco, and blessed their home. The moment was life coming full circle: a testament to faith, family and God’s enduring grace.
With unbridled joy, Solana’s grandparents (Opep and Cora Gandionco, and Eden and Debbie Huang) gathered together with an intimate circle of family and friends as the precious little one was presented in the chapel.
Standing as her godparents were the dear friends and family of Sol’s parents. Her ninongs included Matt Cancio, Paolo Dino, Jmi Gullas, Eduardo Montenegro, Ribo Holganza, Basi Ugarte (proxied by Zach Huang), and Carlos Streegan (proxied by Mat Huang). As for the ninangs, Samantha Yu, Angel Mendoza Ostrea, Amanda Liu Mirabal, Rina Dakay, Nikki Lugtu Ugarte, Darlene Geson Reyes and Pamela Carunungan Montelibano took the honored roles.
After the baptism, guests gathered at Citadines for an elegant Italian Brunch–themed reception delightfully decorated by Simple Wishes (Grandmother Debbie Huang and mom Patty’s labor of love for Solana), where light cocktails and refreshments were served before a hearty lunch.
More than a milestone, Solana’s baptism was a day that celebrated not just new beginnings, but the deep and faithful ties that hold families together through every season of life. That day, surrounding her with love were the people tasked to help guide her through life’s many seasons.
Welcome to the Christian world, baby Sol!