At Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club and Pico Sands Hotel, the annual Christmas Tree Lighting is always a much-awaited affair. One year, the décor paid homage to the turtles which regularly visited its shores to lay precious eggs. The following season turned nautical, with hints of sails and seashells woven into the celebration.

For 2025, however, the focus is on a life form deeper in the landscape, anchored in the cove’s own lifeblood — the mangroves.

Long before they became symbols of resilience in festive displays, mangroves have engulfed most of Philippine coastlines for centuries. These intertidal forests, with their tangle of roots rising from saline waters, continue to stand as fervent guardians between the land and sea.

In coastal communities, these trees protect settlements from the strongest gusts and buffer storm surges. It even softens waves that would otherwise creep steadily into the shoreline and ultimately cause soil erosion.

Across the archipelago, mangroves are consistently known as nurseries of life: sanctuaries for fish, crustaceans, giant clams, egrets, and herons, whose thriving colonies depended on coexistence.

It was only fitting, then, that Pico de Loro — home to a 10-hectare mangrove forest — dedicated this year’s theme to these silent yet productive protectors. As part of the resort’s commitment to marine conservation and sustainability, Christmas trees around the cove were adorned with eco-friendly trimmings. This honored harmony and connection, with mangroves represented as steadfast sentinels whose branches reached outward like arms embracing the inhabitants.

General manager Maxi Gavino welcomed guests with an uplifting message, saying, “This year, our theme —’ #FeelTheHolidaySparkle’ — invites us to rediscover the beauty that shines when we nurture what truly matters. Our inspiration comes from the mangroves, nature’s quiet protectors that bring life and light to our surroundings. When mangroves thrive, they become home to fireflies — tiny sparks that illuminate the night, reminding us that even the smallest lights can create something truly wondrous together.”