WATCH: ‘Disney Sea Philippines’ returns to Laguna

MANILA, Philippines — Looking for an escape from summer heat?

In Nuvali, a 2,400-hectare mixed-used estate in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, the Fountain of Lights has been recently launched not only to provide respite from the rising temperatures, but also to delight and spread awareness about Filipino culture, Ayala Land Marketing and Communications Head Christine Roa said in a press presentation in Seda Nuvali hotel.

According to Roa, after the show was first launched in 2019 and returned in Christmas 2022, it has lured 325,000 visitors to the estate or 33% higher foot traffic. It also garnered 10 million in online reach and P15 million in media values. 

Because of its success, the Fountain of Lights has been dubbed “Disney Sea Philippines,” said Roa, as many compared it to Disneyland’s popular water-based attraction.

For the show’s summer 2023 revival, three new summer-themed contents are featured to give the show a Filipino flavor. 

“Fiesta Filipinas” features a cavalcade of sights and sounds celebrating the many colorful festivals in the Philippines. From the flowers in full bloom of Panagbenga to the parade of smiles of MassKara, the show showcases the biggest celebrations from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao. 

Next, “Beach Life” showcases a symphony of sun, sand, and sound. Finally, “Larong Pinoy” encourages the audience to relive their childhood with Filipino games presented with an artistic twist.

“It’s projection on a water. So we have these water spikes that make semi-circle na canvas and we basically have three… because we have three fountains, we have three projectors projecting from the back for each of the fountain area and then it’s stitched together lang,” GA Fallarme, a projection artist with almost 20-year experience, explained the science behind the fountain spectacle.

According to Fallarme, who usually designs for theater and events, more than just simply projecting images, the show is actually harder to create than it looks. The projection canvas, also used to show commercials, were made for the show, and its function gets affected by wind, rain and other conditions that may come in its lagoon environment.

“It’s challenging because it’s not a matter of just putting on a video eh. You have to consider something that will work clearly with the screen – the lighting, the conditions in the area… you have to consider saturated or colorful content but with high contrast also and visuals that would be appealing also,” said Fallarme, who took up a master class in projection design in New York. 

The show is made more enjoyable thanks to its musical accompaniment, a medley of variations of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). 

“(It’s) a look back into Filipino culture also – fiestas from north to south, and then we used beach but we don’t want it to look like a tourism-travel video, so I injected some pop art references… para makes it more colorful and interesting,” Falllarme, who took up Computer Engineering and also worked as a visual artist, shared.

The show will run until June 25, 2023, Fridays to Sundays, from 6 to 9 p.m.

As a reflection of Nuvali’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the Lakeside, where the Fountain of Lights are, feature upcycled materials done in-house by the estate’s team. The Benches are made of repurposed wood from Camp N and other recyclable materials. The viewing area is dotted with furniture made of upcycled bottles and chips wrappers, among others. 

Also new in the property starting this summer are Ayala Malls Solenad, Uniqlo's biggest roadside store, McDonald’s newly opened 700th “Green and Good” store and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf that will open this May. Supermarkets Landers is set to open in June, while the 2,000-sq-m MerryMart will launch by the fourth quarter of this year.

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