ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Travel devider CeleBright the return of the giant Christmas tree in SM By The Bay

CeleBright the return of the giant Christmas tree in SM By The Bay

Published Nov 24, 2022 05:39 pm

Firefly asks Filipinos to celebrate Christmas as one nation

Filipinos love Christmas. Carols start playing, and parols start blinking all over on Sept. 1, marking the start of the longest holiday season in the world. Back with such sweet vengeance after a two-year hiatus due to Covid, Firefly returns with a brighter and merrier Christmas starting with its annual Christmas tree lighting event at SM By The Bay last Nov. 11.

Firefly, makers of high-quality, safe, and affordable lighting and fixtures, finds this spot perfect for its much-anticipated comeback. Facing the expanse of the Manila Bay, with the SM Mall of Asia as backdrop, the 70-foot Christmas tree will stand tall bearing its message to millions of Filipinos who flock to this spot every year: "CeleBright New Beginnings as One Country."

The Firefly Christmas tree is a majestic testimony to the call to action for every Filipino to unite in spirit for the Philippines. “We are happy that Filipinos are again able to go out and physically be with family and friends. It has been hard for people to be away from loved ones, especially during Christmas. With this Firefly Christmas tree lighting, we want to bring back that warm and happy feeling of being with our families during this season. As Filipinos with large families, we love our big family celebrations. To make it bigger and brighter, Firefly commissioned celebrity Solenn Heusaff to design this year’s Christmas tree,” said Ray Encomienda of Firefly.

Solenn shared the design concept and essence of the Firefly Christmas tree. “The design is centered around unity, reflection, and hope. The last two years are full of people whose selflessness to help others inspires us to do the same. The pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, and it’s time for us to reflect and reassess our lives. Lastly, we are a hopeful tribe. Filipinos are always looking forward, always working to make a better tomorrow.”

The Christmas tree is bursting with symbolisms. The Christmas star and the diamonds on the treetop drew inspiration from the three stars and the sun of the Philippine flag. These sources of light guide us all. It also reflects the strength the Filipino people draw from each other when united.

The unique and dazzling parols represent the colorful Filipino festivals from all the regions and bring to life that hope within us. The bottom standees honor the country’s rich natural resources. To denote purity and Filipino malasakit, white lilies adorn the circular base.

"CeleBright New Beginnings as One Country" is a resounding message, as well as a huge mission. It’s a rallying cry for each Filipino to be represented, as well as for everyone to participate.

Firefly commissioned celebrity Solenn Heusaff to design this year’s Christmas tree.

“Christmas is the season that ushers in the New Year. Two years ago, nothing was clear, we were in the dark as to what’s next. Now, it’s all brightly lit. We are looking inward and outward, full of hope for 2023. We wish everyone to visit this Firefly Christmas tree where we hope that it can bring brightness into everyone’s heart, celebrate life, and to light up a new path for every Filipino to unite as one country,” said Ray.

Firefly Electric and Lighting Corporation (FELCO) is one of the leading lighting electrical and power solutions companies in the Philippines, and owner of the powerhouse brands Firefly, Royu, and Ecolum.

Aside from lighting solutions for your homes and business, Firefly also
offers safe, high quality, and affordable Christmas lights. These are available at the company’s official online store (www.felcostore.ph/collections/firefly-christmas-lights) and in key stores nationwide.

Related Tags

SM By the Bay Solenn Heusaff Firefly
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.