Your Weekend Guide (December 21, 2018)

Jose Mari Chan live

THE Philippines’ personification of Christmas, the man whose voice fills the airwaves the moment the ’ber months arrive, will be having a concert on Dec. 22, 8 p.m. at the Theater at Solaire. Metroesthetico Skin and Wellness Center in association with Starmedia Entertainment and Solaire Resort & Casino present Jose Mari Chan: Going Home to Christmas, with musical direction by Louie Ocampo and special participation of Rita Daniela. One can expect the singer-songwriter to perform his well-loved Christmas hits and ballads. For tickets, contact TicketWorld (, 891-9999).

Concerts at Festival Mall

CAROLS will complete the festive spirit at Alabang’s Festival Mall thanks to “The Christmas Factory,” a month-long Christmas performance series, on all the weekends of December. On Dec. 22, and 23 at 6 p.m., the Festival of Carols will be held at the malls Expansion Wing and/or Water Garden, with choirs from a variety of schools and communities entertaining mall visitors with their harmonies.

Festival of Lights

THE annual Festival of Lights is ongoing at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. This year the music comes from the Walt Disney Co. in a show titled Reimagine The Magic: A Festival of Lights. Expect to hear hits such as “Let it Go” from Frozen (2013), “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio (1940) and the titular “Beauty and the Beast” from the 1991 film among other classics from the Mickey Mouse music vault. The music is arranged by the former musical director of HK Disneyland, Rony Fortich while the lights are handled by Voltaire de Jesus. This year’s festival will have three Disney medleys and another a nod towards the classic Filipino Christmas songs such as “Pasko Na Naman.” Other ALI properties have mounted their own lights and music shows including Nuvali in Sta. Rosa Laguna, Centrio in Cagayan de Oro, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Ayala Cebu and Vertis North in Quezon City. Each medley is roughly six minutes long and will play every 30 minutes from 6 to 10 p.m.

Christmas at Vertis Norte

VERTIS Norte welcomes the holidays with Reimagine the Magic: A Festival of Lights, a lights and sound spectacle set to Disney songs and Filipino Christmas Carols that runs until Jan. 15. On Sundays, listen to Christmas Symphonies with presentations from Voces Manila on Dec. 23. Vertis Norte keeps the Simbang Gabi tradition alive with nightly masses at 7 p.m. until Dec. 23 at Level 2 of the mall.

����’s Rapunzel

REPERTORY’s Theater for Young Audiences presents Rapunzel: A Very Hairy Fairy Tale until Jan. 27 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati. For tickets and schedules, contact TicketWorld (, 891-9999).

Christmas at KidZania

KIDZANIA MANILA helps the family can bond with its #YuleBeTogether themed activities this Christmas. There is the Christmas Family Challenge which include delivering gifts, sorting letters, and arranging logs (to be held from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1. Then there is the Christmas corner, where kids can color DIY themed placements or create ornaments then take home their masterpieces. Parents can try the Nido 3+/5+ City Challenge with their children. Children ages four to six years old may join the Play, Learn, and Let go challenges with their parents in featured Nido establishments until Dec. 31. It’s the perfect time of year to start teaching the kids how to save, especially since they will get their pamasko from their godparents. Check out the BPI Jumpstart launch, ongoing until Dec. 22, and avail of the P100 deposit to open a BPI Jumpstart Savings Account. For details, visit .