Last November 20, 2019, Manila Ocean Park and Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. officially embraced the holiday season abounding of joy and love with its much-awaited annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony held at the park’s concourse plaza.
The two companies have been celebrating Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremonies for 5 consecutive years to kick off the Christmas season. The tradition started last 2015 wherein Manila Ocean Park and PCPPI used 10,000 recycled bottles to create a 9-meter high Christmas Tree, to 12,000 bottles for an 11-meter high tree, then 13,000 bottles for a tree that’s 13-meter high and last year was something different because the two companies worked with college students in making 3 different trees with the use of recycled bottles. This has helped in educating people about environmental conservation and promoting climate change awareness. By this small step, it could lead to a huge change for a better ecological environment not just to us humans but most importantly to animals and all living creatures.
For this year, Manila Ocean Park and PCPPI continued the tradition and created a 15-meter high Recycled Pepsi Christmas tree with the theme “All Aboard the North Pole Express” which promotes our advocacy against climate change.
Especially today, the coldest region on earth; Antarctica, is at risk. The glaciers and ice shelves there are melting fast making the sea level rise, enough to swamp islands This does not only endanger our lives, but also the lives of the animals living there. Different penguin species are sliding towards extinction, polar bears are starving, and their survival will depend on their ability to adapt and relocate to their new home. This is the reason why the brand ambassadors for this 2019 lighting ceremony were Manila Ocean Park’s very own Humboldt penguins, for everyone to be aware of what is happening to Mother Earth and remember all the small things we can do to save her.
Distinguished guests who graced the joyful and insightful celebration included the Vice Mayor of Manila, Mrs. Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan, executives from Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc., and children from the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines.
Manila Ocean Park’s banner CSR program is called “I LOVE MY OCEAN PLANET”. A campaign that encourages volunteerism, public education and community mobilization activities designed to increase public awareness and action on coastal management issues and instill pride in our country’s natural resources. It is an expanded responsibility of stewardship not only with marine biodiversity but also with other creatures who are dependent on the wellness of the ocean.