A 70th birthday is certainly one of life’s milestone events and Tinet had long been planning a big party for her husband Wally Tapia in Davao. 
Their two children living in Sydney, Niña and our son-in-law Carlo (along with his tribe) had booked tickets ages ago for a surprise visit.
Then the surprise started to gather momentum. Three of the band-members Carlo regularly plays with decided it was time for a holiday, so they booked tickets too. Linda and I were well overdue for a visit to the Philippines, so the final count was eleven.
And we’re so glad we went – it was the highlight of our trip and I think the best birthday party I’ve ever been to. The Tapia family and friends really know how to enjoy themselves.
Tinet organised the evening beginning with a special mass in the chapel of Santa Ana Church in downtown Davao. Tinet and Wally have a very close relationship with the clergy in the region, so it was no surprise to see seven priests presiding. (Photos here)
From the church we went directly to the Apo View Hotelwhere Tinet had organised a huge party in the function room on the very top floor. Wally knew there was going to be a party, but not this grand. The room was wonderfully decorated in a music theme with the six-piece Molave Junction Band playing music from the ‘60s. Some of the band members were not that much younger than Wally and have been playing for a long time, and it showed – the one-hundred-plus guests loved them.
After a long set the band took a break, and that’s when Carlo went to work with his band members, lead singer Cavan Te, guitarist Wil Mahusay and Kristen Fletcher on keyboards. The guests were delighted and Wally’s night was complete. (Photos here)
(Note that many of the photos were taken by the official photographers at the functions.)
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