NCCC Mall Marks 80th Araw ng Dabaw with Himig at Saya Show

When  Araw ng Dabaw comes, you can expect major malls in the city to have shows featuring young and popular celebrities. This gives Dabawenyos, especially the movie fans, a great opportunity to see their idols in the flesh. Thanks to these wide screens installed in the activity centers of malls, fans who may not be able to sit near the stage can still view their most admired celebrities very clearly.

The NCCC Mall had its own show during the 80th Araw ng Dabaw week dubbed "Himig at Saya" and I was glad to be invited. It was an afternoon show that featured local talents and teen celebrities of ABS-CBN such as Girl Trends Maris and Barbie (who were also former PBB housemates), Hashtag Paolo and teen heartthrob Joshua Garcia who's being touted as the next John Lloyd owing to his good looks and acting skills.

Photo by NCCC Mall

It was a very entertaining afternoon as I got to witness world-class talents such as the all-female trio called "Zhalia." I learned during the show that the three ladies that make up this trio (Jetz, Shaira and Julia) were gold medalists in the World Championships of Performing Artists (WCOPA) in 2015. This global competition held in the U.S. each year showcases the artistic talents of young people from all over the world and to end up as gold medalists is indeed a major achievement. The three ladies sing so well and their voices blend perfectly whether they are performing love songs or the more upbeat tunes. Check out this video which I personally took.



Zhalia is also the group behind the original Bisaya song "Pag Sure Oi!" composed by Jeremy Sarmiento. The trio and Sarmiento are now doing collaborations in an effort to create more original Bisaya songs that Davao City can be proud of.

Following Zhalia's performance were games participated in by lucky NCCC Mall shoppers the winners of which took home gift packs. Then the moment everyone was waiting for came as signaled by the loud shouts, whistles and cheers from the audience.

The first young star to come out and perform was Barbie of  Girl Trends followed by Paulo of Hashtag. The two who are paired in the teleserye "Langit at Lupa" also did a duet and even participated in a game. After their performance, Maris also of Girl Trends followed.

Barbie & Paulo being interviewed by host Rovic Cuasito. Photo by NCCC Mall

The last to perform and the one who got the loudest cheer from the audience composed of young people was teen heartthrob Joshua Garcia. This charming young man sang three songs and really made an effort to go near his fans near the stage. All four of them actually really went down and shook hands with their very excited fans.

Maris and Joshua (Photo by NCCC Mall)

I was one lucky mom that day as I together with my tween daughter (whom I brought along) got to meet and greet the four good-looking young stars at the backstage. Thank you again NCCC Mall for inviting me to your Araw ng Dabaw show.

By the way, NCCC also now has a gift card available in P500 denomination. It can be used at any NCCC Supermarket, Choice Mart, Hardwaremaxx and NCCC Department Store branches.