There was a bit of a chill in the air, as the families and children gathered along 5th Avenue in BGC, right across from Bonifacio High Street Central. Everyone was giddy with excitement, with all eyes drawn towards the giant 40-foot Christmas tree peeking out from behind the magical Dream Gate. It was the perfect night for a High Street Holiday 2025 – filled with Christmas carols and streets all bedecked in lights.

As the crowds began to gather, stilt walkers and jesters, all dressed in red and gold, walked about to entertain and delight. Towards the front, Santa Claus and his magical guides stepped out to welcome guests and being the evening’s festivities. Ballerinas dressed in dainty pastel tutus and acrobats regaled everyone with dances and tricks, while a children’s choir sang a medley of much loved Christmas carols. 

At just the right moment, a cool breeze swept across the area, signaling it was time to light up the tree. Santa Claus stepped back on to the stage to call his guardians to hand the golden keys over to their special guests, led by Taguig Mayor Laarni Cayetano and FBDC chief operating officer Enrique Manuel, Jr. Once the gates were opened and the walls came down, a resplendent giant Christmas tree was revealed, adorned with candies, gingerbread, snowflakes and bows, set amidst gingerbread houses all around. It was a magical scene, which had families excitedly waiting for their turn to take a photo and capture a core holiday memory.

With the tree all lit up, the festivities continued on the main stage for the BGC Grand Christmas Show 2025. In partnership with the Bonifacio Art Foundation, the concert, aptly called The Real Gifts Around The Christmas Tree, brought together world-class Filipino talent for an evening of beautiful Christmas carols. 

Musical theater artists Kakki Teodoro and Vic Robinson III, and the Ateneo Chamber Singers filled the air with their voices, accompanied by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Toma Cayabyab. Hong Kong Disneyland alum Rony Fortich led the show as Musical Director, with songs like Pasko na Sinta Ko, Do You Hear What I Hear, and, of course, the country’s unofficial Christmas anthem, Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas In Our Hearts. Adding charm to the evening’s affair were holiday ornaments brought to life by Puppet Theater Manila.

Perhaps what made this Christmas Concert even more poignant was how writer Maria Isabel Garcia put the focus on the ‘real gifts’ of the holiday season. More than the sparkly present under the tree, it is the gift of love, hope, peace, friendship, and family. The things that truly matter. And under the glow of BGC’s giant Christmas tree, that maybe all everyone needs for a magical holiday season.