The appeal of young stars is really such that fans and supporters would go all lengths to have a glimpse of them no matter the inconvenience of the situation. Like what happened last weekend at the Gaisano Mall in Davao City when every space was occupied by eager Davaoeños who went to watch the show by Kapamilya stars led by Anne Curtis (“The Wedding”), Gerald Anderson and Coco Martin (“Tayong Dalawa”), and Melissa Ricks and Matt Evans (“Kambal sa Uma”). Joining them were the Gigger Boys: Robi Domingo, EJ Perez, Enchong Dee, Christopher Gutierrez (who was telling us how impressed he was by the cleanliness of the streets of Davao City), and Arron Villaflor.

The Kapamilya show (which drew an estimated crowd of 6,000) was held at the Gaisano Mall of Davao Atrium. It was so packed that we (Kathy Solis of ABS-CBN Corporate Communications and Karen Ladao of the finance department of the network’s regional office in Davao) had a hard time getting to our designated seats. Sen. Bong Revilla also came to wave at the crowd but only briefly because he couldn’t get through.

The show started with games sponsored by Fitrum and Dazz among others. Then Matt came onstage to render a musical number, followed by Melissa. The two later came back for a duet. The Gigger Boys came next to do what they are best known for – dancing. They are seen every Sunday on “ASAP 09,” their only show after “Boystown,” which is just okay with them because they are all dead serious in finishing their education. You should have seen how the audience cheered so wildly for them, especially when each of them paired with local lasses for the apple-eating contest.

Coco Martin and Gerald Anderson were also wildly applauded, and so was Anne Curtis who was finale number.

Fans also waited patiently for a glimpse autograph and photo sessions with the young stars in the  restaurants. They were taken by Trisha Corpus’s (ABS-CBN Davao head) team like in the Let’s Crab Eats and Afhat Seafood Restaurant.

The show was under the auspices of the ABS-CBN Regional Network Group’s Kapamilya Karavan as they joined in the spirit of the annual Kadayawan Festival, which is one of the most-awaited festivals in the country. It is held in Davao, one of the largest cities in the world, and certainly one of the Philippines’ most progressive cities. It is now also called the “10th Asian City of the Future.”

The week-long Kadayawan Festival (held every third week of August) is a “thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest, and serenity of living,” as it pays tribute to the artistic, cultural and historical heritage of the region. Exciting events include the search for the “Hiyas sa Kadayawan,” the festival symbol who represents the tribal communities of Davao City, a showcase of Mindanawon fashion and floral arts, river festival, indigenous music exhibition, dance competitions, trade fair, food and music parties, street dancing and the floral float parade.

Eden Nature Park & Resort

We had the chance to visit Eden Park and Resort last Sunday before our flight back to Manila, courtesy of Karen Ladao who made us choose between the Crocodile Farm and the Eden Nature Part and Resort. We opted for the latter because we remembered a similar place also called Eden, a four-hour ride from London proper, where I was brought two years ago by my sister Susan M. Almontero and her fashion designer son Nico.

The Eden of Davao pales in comparison with the Eden in the UK, considering the modern technology and state-of-the-art facilities they use (they have huge nurseries/greenhouses with controlled temperature so they could grown even tropical trees and vegetables like what we have here), but anyway, we were impressed enough by Eden of Davao, and we enjoyed our stay, albeit short.

We had lunch at the Vista Restaurant where a truly gastronomic experience awaits visitors (among others, they serve organically grown vegetables). Adjacent to the restaurant is the Vista Playground where kids can try the Indiana Jones Ride.

The 45-minute day tour brought us to various places of interest like the Fishing Village, the Pinoy Games area (where you can play Filipino games like the “piko” and “patintero”), the Ampitheater and Flower Garden (where visitors delight in the colorful sights and sweet smell of flowers and where one can enjoy an excellent view of Davao City and the Gulf), Lola’s Garden, situated in one of the park’s most panoramic view of the City and where they grow herbs; the Deer Park, the Vegetable Gardens and Greenhouses, the Birdwalk, the Matinlo Pond and Prayer Garden (a perfect place for meditation) among others.

The Eden Park and Resort sits on an 80-hectare property developed by the Ayalas of Davao. The development, according to our tour guide, started in the ’70s but the park was opened to the public only in l997. It’s a place to visit when you are in Davao City.

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Bacoor September fest set

Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla will lead the 338th anniversary celebration of this town which begins today, Aug. 31, till the end of September, showcasing the town’s dynamic transformation and growth.
The theme of the festival is “Isang Pamilya, Isang Bayan, Isang Pasasalamat.” A special feature of the celebration is the coronation of “Mutya ng Bacoor” on Sept. 25.

Mayor Revilla said that one of his pet projects now is to finish the construction of a P100- million, 25-bed primary hospital. On other health services, the town chief executive said that he has increased day-care centers from 30 to 89. He has also established a lying-in maternity and emergency clinic, and a Botika ng Barangay that sells cheap medicine to the less privileged.

Another significant project is the Strike Half-Way House which gives temporary shelter to disadvantaged women and children.

On education, Mayor Revilla said that the municipality has constructed additional school buildings aside from sponsoring scholarships for indigent but deserving students.

“We are also working on the establishment of an eco-tourism park,” Mayor Revilla added. “This will be launched on Sept. 4 as part of the one-month celebration.”

Bacoor operates on a P650 million budget, and has an annual average of R300-million IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment).

The 39-year-old mayor, brother of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. said that the celebration will also feature trade and job fairs, and other activities presenting the enhanced services of the municipality.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Aug. 31, go to Ms. Ramona Ty, Jim Paredes, Zenaida Silva, Connie Gonzalez, Timothy A. Yuquimpo, Monching Fernandez, Dr. Inday Morales, Susan A. de Guzman, Erwin Roy, Jasper Barcelon, Virginia Malolos, Baby Michelle Naidas Abacan, Cherry Pascual, Monching Tabuldan and Rachelle Ann Go…

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MELISSA RICKS, Coco Martin, Kathy Solis of ABS-CBN Corp. Comm., and Matt Evans.	12.86 KB