#ChristmasAroundthePH: Yule Duel choir competition at SM City Davao

Back to blogging, first I like to greet everyone a Merry Christmas! Im sure you had a blast from last night's Christmas eve, I'm still having some hang over after the celebration because we seem not to end the night and everyone are still enjoying some videoke after our Christmas dinner.

#ChristmasAroundthePH blog series is here for its 5th post featuring our 1st trip in Davao City, the home city of our 16th Philippine President, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, its one of my dreams to visit his city and consider this as my 1st ever trip to Davao City and a blog post fresh from the land of promise.

The #MerrySMChristmas events featured today is about the Yule Duel choir competition at SM City Davao. The event was held at the Annex Building and its a huge building filled with lots of tech stores, restaurants and also a spacious area for events and mall activities.

SM City Davao is considered as the very first SM Supermalls here in the Mindanao region.
The original SM City Davao mall building is a bit old and shows some similarities of an old SM mall here in Manila, but adding some new building like the Annex building, this gave us a more modern look and feel for shopping.

Our Bears of Joy is here checking out the event center at the Annex building

Front entrance of the Annex building

This tower signage reminds me of SM Centerpoint or SM City Sta Mesa, they share the same design in terms of tower signages.

Entrance to SM City Davao's Annex Building

Inside the old SM City Davao building, looks like I'm at SM City Bacoor. Im at their former event center and today it is already a space for kiosk and booths.

Looking above are the giant Christmas balls display.

At the Annex building, you can spot the three giant Christmas tree, as the main center piece of SM City Davao.

There's also a big chair where you can sit down and have a Christmas photo op with the giant trees.
Around it are some statues of Nutcracker soldiers playing some musical instruments.

Its so colorful and everything glows infront of you.

I got lucky to meet Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte inside SM City Davao,I did recognize her when she was stopped by mall goers for some photo op. She's so nice to everyone and she even responded to my request to have a quick photo op with my Bears of Joy.

SM City Davao also posted some giant tarps with designs of popular landmarks around the world. Here's our bear posing in a Marina Bay Sand photo and the Great wall of China photo. It look so real when you take a photo with it.

And here's my take-- under the Eiffel tower in Paris, France hahahah

SM City Davao invited school choir from all over the city to join in a one day choir competition. They are required to do a live performance of three Christmas song, and their performance will be graded by invited judges of the contest.

As for this contest, they closed 3 groups to compete at the Yule Duel.

Prizes are - 3rd place PHP 5,000 cash
2nd place PHP 10,000 cash
1st place PHP 15,000 cash

Three judges of SM City Davao's Yule Duel

First performance - Conexus Harmonia Chorale of Tagum City National High School

The Sto. Tomas Youth Choir

The Denians Voice Ensemble

The judges watching the performance of the three choir groups

Audiences are friends and family member of the choir group, some are shoppers who stopped by to watch the Christmas choir battle.

Awarding the 3rd place winner - The Denians Voice Ensemble

Awarding the 2nd place winner - The Sto. Tomas Youth Choir

1st place winner and grand winner - Conexus Harmonia Chorale of Tagum City National High School

Each winning choir team receive cash prizes, trophy and certificate of participation to SM City Davao's Yule Duel

Watch: the winning team's entry

video by Ted Claudio

Photo op with the choir group!
Everyone are so game and happy! we're still having some hang over after the choir contest

Here's a 360 degrees photo take by Ted Claudio

https://www.facebook.com/smcitydavao/posts/1437008242999542?match=c20gY2l0eSBkYXZhbyx5dWxlIGR1ZWwsdGVk

Here's our video greetings in 360 degrees video taken by Ted Claudio

https://www.facebook.com/popazrael/posts/10154945235474276?match=eXVsZSBkdWVsLGRhdmFvLGR1ZWwseXVsZSxjaXR5LHRlZCxzbQ%3D%3D

BEHIND THE SCENES

After a long blog coverage, our SM City Davao friend Vitto invited us to try and have a lunch here at Roadhouse Cafe, its one of the popular resto here in SM City Davao, Also I noticed that this is the most suggested resto to try according to our friends on Facebook.

Vitto said that the best and most recommended dish here is the Kare Kare and seafood basket.
Yup! he is right! their version of Kare Kare is different and taste even better.

Galeng!

Up next: Vitto bought us here at Blugre coffee, its a home grown cafe here in Davao City. Their best seller and most recommended beverage are all drinks with DURIAN!!

We took the challenge to try their hand crafted beverages laced with durian fruit.
After one sip of it.....my brain get to blow it self due to its creamy and tasty, fruit flavor.

OMG!! this is the drink that Im looking for! so we over indulge ourself with lots of durian macha tea, durian coffee, durian shake and a cream cheese durian cake!

Durian mixed on different kinds of food can make your brains explode!