Yes, it’s no longer Christmas and, yes, the lights and sound show may no longer be there, but these are the very reasons why we should post some photos, and note our memories, of the beautiful lights and sound show at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

Right in the heart of the Makati Business District, framed by Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, is the Ayala Triangle Gardens. We call it simply as the Ayala Park. The older generation may call it the Nielson Field or Nielson Airport.

Yes, my dear, the Ayala Triangle Gardens used to be the center of an airport. Ayala Avenue used to be a runway, same with Paseo de Roxas, and the Filipinas Heritage Library, right along Makati Avenue, was the passenger terminal/control tower. The airport ceased operation in 1948.

We were expecting, wrong assumption it turned out, that the show would cover the entire park. Yet entering through the Makati Avenue entrance, the only set of bright lights we encountered was the Christmas tree and the warm lights of the restaurants lining up behind the Filipinas Heritage Library. A good thing, really, because first in line was Caramia, with its flavorful ice cream flavors providing some relief from the heat. At the end of the restaurants, just behind the Makati Stock Exchange, is a cluster of trees, drenched in bulbs of all sizes and colors.

The show starts every 30 minutes, punctuated by ohhs and ahhs from the crowd, a happy mix of half part kids, half part adults. The lights slowly come alive as the first Christmas carol is played. First to twinkle are the cascading lights, changing colors. What comes next, though simple, is a succession of glistening and moving lights that beats with the music.

We know the place. We’ve worked here for the longest time. The annual Christmas lights that dress up the major roads of Makati became normal sights, so it feels weird for us to troop back to Makati City just to see the lights and sound show at the Ayala Triangle Gardens. But after seeing the show, we were glad that we joined the sea of people who gathered at the location on a cool Christmas evening.