"A golden birthday surprise"

“A golden birthday surprise”
SunStar Davao, June 28, 2025

Harold Soriaga had one guiding intention in mind as he began planning his wife Jolla’s 50th birthday: to celebrate her in a way that was as meaningful and remarkable as the life she has lived.

Currently the AVP for Business Development and Operations at Alsons Development and Investment Corporation, Jolla is a licensed real estate broker who impressively made it to the Top 10, a BS Management graduate from Ateneo de Manila University, and a Master’s in Management alumna from UP Mindanao.

                      

But she is far more than her titles. Jolla is a registered yoga teacher with specialized training for children with special needs, a breastfeeding advocate, a supporter of Mindanao art, and a proud alumna of SSEAYP or the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program where she met the very man who would pull off the surprise of her lifetime.

Five-gift secret mission

For Harold, who is an engineer, the plan was simple in concept but monumental in execution: five significant gifts over five months, culminating in a surprise birthday party that would bring together fifty of Jolla’s closest family and friends. The carefully chosen guests were drawn from different aspects of her life: family, high school classmates, colleagues from both MEDCO and Alsons Development, and long-time friends.

Gift 1: The surprise party

The venue, La Herencia in Davao, was cleverly disguised as an art exhibit visit. With help from art coordinator Wilfred “Rob” Tanedo and curator Cherm Cua Go, the ruse was perfectly executed. The “guided tour” ended with a door opening to the pavilion where guests were waiting, and the look of surprise on Jolla’s face was worth every ounce of secrecy!

                    

                                     

                        

Gift 2: A collage of handwritten memories

In an age of digital convenience, Harold chose a collage of handwritten messages from friends and family. What started in January was a labor of love. He collected, formatted, and arranged these intimate pieces of paper into a vibrant 3x4 board with no blank spaces, each note a snapshot of the lives Jolla had touched.

      

Gift 3: A personalized cake topper

Known for crafting superhero sculptures, Harold put his artistic talent to a new use: a yoga-inspired figurine of Jolla herself, perched proudly atop her birthday cake. It was a fitting tribute to her passion for wellness and her whimsical side as a “wannabe visual artist.”

                     

                    

                     

Gift 4: Launching her music career

Jolla once confided to Harold that she dreamed of performing even though she did not consider herself a singer. So, Harold orchestrated a moment where she had no choice but to take the microphone during her party, with a live band ready and an audience cheering her on. With “Islands in the Stream” as her debut number, Jolla’s long-hidden stage dream came true and just days later, she repeated the performance at a company event.

Gift 5: A music video with the kids

Harold and their children, Cylo (21), Mati (20), and Primo (9), collaborated on a musical tribute using the tune of “Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid”, rewritten to tell Jolla’s amazing life story. The playful “Shalalala” morphed into a joyful and humorous homage to “Jollalala”.

Co-conspirators

Certainly, a surprise of this scale demands co-conspirators, and Harold found them in Jolla’s network. Her officemates Mary Anne Odal and Teresa Suringa gamely helped gather messages and lent a hand with logistics. Former colleague Baybay Yagong and current team members Ding Bernardino and Marga Rey-Gross played key roles in the program, while the renowned Mindanao artist Kublai Millan led the toast.

Adding a final touch of warmth and generosity, Jolla’s longtime boss, Ms. Rosie Alcantara-Dominguez, not only delivered an honoring speech but also brought the life of any Filipino celebration: the lechon.

The venue itself was transformed by Jolla’s high school classmate, Dr. Phany Castillo-Ho, who, after receiving the call for handwritten notes, volunteered to both decorate and host. “With all the things Jolla has done for her friends, she deserves to be celebrated and honored in a special way,” Phany said.

A celebration of love and legacy

Looking back, Harold confesses that his previous party-planning experience had been limited to the kids’ birthdays, simple affairs that stopped at age seven. But this? This was something else entirely.

“This was more than a party. It was a tribute not just to Jolla’s 50 years of life, but to the relationships she has nurtured, the causes she champions, and the joy she brings to everyone around her,” Harold reflects.

And as she stood among loved ones, singing her heart out and smiling at every thoughtful detail, one thing was clear: Jolla was seen, celebrated, and surprised, just as Harold had hoped.

“Knowing Harold spent six months secretly planning this surprise party, I can’t imagine ever matching, let alone outdoing what he pulled off,” Jolla expresses gratefully. “He truly deserves an award for Best Husband!”

"A sister's love inspires autism advocacy"

“A sister's love inspires autism advocacy”
SunStar Davao, June 7, 2025

At age 2, Alessandra Monique “Nikkey” Ang’s sister Trixey was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

“At that time, I wasn’t really sure what that meant,” Nikkey recalls. “All I knew was that she was different, and that we, as a family, needed to make adjustments to accommodate her needs.”

The reality of this challenge became particularly evident during the pandemic, when therapy centers closed and Nikkey took on the responsibility of continuing Trixey's special education at home. Those months taught her the importance of advocating for inclusive education and celebrating small victories in a child's developmental journey.

Recently, Nikkey launched a meaningful project close to her heart.

                      

"Autismbilities: A Spectrum of Possibilities" is a student-led initiative providing practical resources for families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The project addresses a critical gap in the Philippines, where children with autism often remain undiagnosed for years while families struggle without adequate support, affordable therapy, or properly equipped schools.

                              

The Davao Christian High School graduate’s initiative is in collaboration with author Geraldine Solis, M.Sc. Psych., and the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Davao.

Comprehensive resource for early intervention

The project's cornerstone publication, “First Steps: A Family Starter Guide on Autism”, is a comprehensive guidebook that explains what autism is, how to recognize early signs, and provides simple home exercises for impactful early intervention in children aged 0–5. The book also includes self-care guidance for parents and DIY activities.

                          

Since its official launch on May 22, 2025, the book has reached 1,500 families across 15 centers in Davao City. It is now freely available online under the Creative Commons License, ensuring that financial constraints will not prevent families from accessing vital information.

The project gained public recognition when it was introduced during the Autism Society Philippines' Angel’s Walk on April 13, 2025, and earned 1st Runner-Up for Best Project at the 58th Search for the Most Outstanding High School Graduate of JCI Davao on April 4, 2025.

Expanding reach and impact

“Through this project, we hope to help people recognize that children like Trixey are special—not because of their different needs, but because they bring a unique kind of joy to our lives as they teach us to celebrate every small win that comes our way,” Nikkey explains.

The project team is currently developing Tagalog and Bisaya translations to expand accessibility, along with derivative materials for distribution in barangay halls and health centers. Additional volumes focusing on family welfare and inclusive classrooms are also in development.

Autismbilities is actively seeking partners who believe every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, including educational institutions ready to embrace inclusion, healthcare organizations serving families, NGOs championing special needs advocacy, publishers aiming to amplify important voices, and community leaders committed to building bridges of understanding.

For families who could benefit from this resource—or organizations interested in partnership opportunities—the guidebook is available for free download. Multiple ways to connect with the project are readily accessible.

Follow the project on Facebook: Autismbilities PH and Instagram: @autismbilitiesph.

LCB-PACF: Celebrating 25 years of touching lives through musical theater

“LCB-PACF: Celebrating 25 years of touching lives through musical theater”
SunStar Davao, August 3, 2024

What began as two people's vision has become a notable performing arts legacy for the next generation.

The LCB Performing Arts Center (LCB-PAC) Foundation Inc., founded by entrepreneur Lu Chin Bon and choreographer/artistic director Lourdes "Bing" Locsin, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in the field of performing arts and musical theater at the Davao Christian High School Auditorium, Davao City.

Legacy Showcase

The Legacy Showcase began with a visual documentary featuring its talented dance teachers, choreographers, and scholars, ranging in age from 2 to 75. All shared a passion and love for dance and musical theater, which consequently resulted in technique training at LCB-PACF, a dancer’s haven that provided them with a second home and family.

      

The choir’s opening song, "A Million Dreams" from the movie The Greatest Showman, was a perfect fit. Its message successfully conveyed every homegrown talent's desire to perform most creatively.

The overwhelming applause after the vocal rendition was a great jump start, followed by adaptations of excerpts from Broadway, Disney, and movie musicals.

The video documentary and stage performances clearly showed that the dancers were all in it together, pushing each other to do better, go further, and achieve success in their performances.

The goal of the Legacy Showcase, and all musicals staged by LCB-PACF, has been and continues to be to give life to a variety of dance forms, including tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, belly dancing, and creative movement for children.

Excerpts interpreted included pieces from Disney, Mamma Mia, Oliver, 42nd Street, Mary Poppins, Grease, and Motown.

Milestones: Every Year is Worth Celebrating

The participation of LCB-PACF alumni in this silver anniversary showcase gave Executive Director Karen Diane Lu Alcaraz a deep sense of nostalgia.

              

"Sharing the stage with them again is deeply nostalgic and heartwarming,” she said, adding that it brought back memories of their shared passion for dancing.

For the past 25 years, LCB-PACF has never wavered in its mission to use the wonderful realm of the performing arts to connect people and impact the diverse lives of Dabawenyos, particularly the Filipino-Chinese community. The vision of its founders, Lu Chin Bon and Bing Locsin, has been passed on to the third generation.

Starting with just one dance teacher/choreographer, Bing Locsin, and one studio, the LCB-PACF was launched in May 1998. Since then, the foundation has exposed Dabawenyos to the art of musical theater.

The first-ever song and dance recital was "Look at Me Now" in 1999, followed by “The Great White Way”, its first musical theater production, in 2000. This was then followed by a string of fifty-five more successful productions, some of which were in collaboration with other performing arts organizations in Davao, Manila, and the United States.

Founder Lu Chin Bon, along with the directors, teachers, choreographers, and dancers, spared no effort in bringing LCB-PACF to where it is today for musical theater lovers in Davao City.

The LCB-PACF aspires to preserve its legacy accordingly, "into what God has destined it to be" – a center where local talents are fostered and developed into performing artists for musical theater as an integral part of the goal of growing the performing arts community in Davao City.

Credits to Lyka Perandos for the official LCB-PACF 25th anniversary write-up and Mark Perandos for the photos.