"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!”