Cham Turns 18: An 18th birthday script

(This is a script I wrote for an 18th birthday party.)

HOST: Good evening everyone! Welcome to Homitori Davao! Welcome to a night of pastel colors in
celebration of a wonderful life for a girl who is now turning into a fine lady. All of you who are here
tonight have watched her grow over the years into the wonderful person she is now. As a jumpstart, let us
all welcome and acknowledge the ever supportive and loving family of our debutant:

FATHER: MR. MANUEL LAGUA, JR.

MOTHER: MRS. CYNTHIA LAGUA

ELDER SISTER: MS. THEA MACY LAGUA

Entrance of Family

HOST: To open tonight’s celebration, here’s a quick look of how this lovely, young lady came about. Roll
VTR, please.

AVP plays, featuring Cham’s collection of photo memories

HOST: Tonight is a celebration of adulthood and a thanksgiving of the life God has given to our lovely
celebrant. Let us put our hands together, as we welcome the main highlight of this celebration, and as she
stepped into a higher level of life, ladies and gentlemen, our debutant, MONICA CHAMANE LAGUA!

Grand Entrance of Debutant

HOST: Wow, blooming and lovely, indeed! Saan nga ba siya nagmana? Kay Mommy ba? Or kay Daddy?
Or baka both? Evidently, before tonight, Cham has had happy years in a very happy home. The love of a
family will always be God’s greatest blessing. Sabi nga nila, in life we can have several friends,
classmates, and social circles, but there is only one family who is always willing and ready to welcome us
no matter what. Ladies and gentlemen, to answer the question kung saan nga ba nagmana si Cham, here’s
Daddy Manuel Lagua, Jr. to welcome all of us to their lovely daughter’s 18th birthday party.

Welcome Remarks – Daddy

Host to ad-lib based on the parent’s message

HOST: At this moment, I’d like to request everybody to please stand as we say our prayer before meals to
be lead by Tita Belle Lim.

Prayer before meals

HOST: To fill the room with music while we are having our dinner, we will be serenaded by City Lights
Band. Bon appétit!

Music In – City Lights Band

Dinner
HOST: Ladies and gentlemen, that was City Lights Band. (Introduce members). Tonight is definitely filled
with a bundle of surprises for our dear Cham. Adding up to the list, here’s a video greeting from the
people from all over the world who are closest to our dear debutant.

AVP plays – Video Greetings

Ad-lib – after dinner talks

HOST: Like a pretty flower that attracts bees and butterflies, Cham will be surrounded by 18 equally
handsome gentlemen who will represent the debutant’s 18 carnations. This flower equates the traditional
18 roses during debuts. For a quick trivia, carnation is Cham’s favorite flower. Starting off with:

18 Carnations

HOST: The last dance is of course reserved to the forever most handsome and most loving guy in her life.
To dance with our debutant, Cham’s 18th carnation, ladies and gentlemen, Daddy Manuel Lagua, Jr!

Father and daughter dance

HOST: (In the middle of the father and daughter dance) The father and daughter dance is probably one of
the most loved traditions in any Filipino debut celebration. This signifies the daughter’s first step to
womanhood and the father’s acceptance of this period in his daughter’s life.

End of Dance

HOST: Ladies and gentlemen, sit back, and let’s groove, jive and enjoy the party with the band, they’re
back on stage, give it up for City Lights Band!

City Lights Band Performance

HOST: Thank you, City Lights Band for filling the room with music and for jazzing up this party with
your playlist! Are you guys, still with me? More party-party later with City Lights Band. They say,
memories are ways to hold on to the things that we love, and to the things that we don’t want to lose. Sabi
nga ni mareng Cynthia Ozick: “What we remember from childhood, we remember forever.” Tonight we
have 18 selected people who will share with us her unforgettable memory with our lovely debutant. Cham,
are you ready for the bukingan time?

Host to call names one by one and maybe do ad-libs after every story.

18 Pieces of Memories

HOST: All of you who are here tonight are closest to Cham. Sabi nga nila, friendship is a million little
things. This time, I’d like to ask Cham’s dear friends this question: “What is that one word that best
describes our debutant, and why?”

Cham to change wardrobe in preparation for the dance number

HOST: Earlier, we were serenaded by the very talented City Lights Band. At this moment, are we ready to
move and groove? I can’t here you, are we ready to move and groove? Ladies and gentlemen, here’s a
dance number from our debutant herself! Let’s put our hands together for Cham and friends!

Cham and Friends – Dance Number

(Ad-lib on the dance number.)

Trivia, trivia, trivia – While Cham changes wardrobe: From hiphop outfit to cocktail dress

HOST: Grabeh ang bukingan ngayong gabi! Nag enjoy ba tayong lahat? Seems like our gorgeous debutant
really enjoyed tonight. From the shared memories to a game trivia, Cham has shared a part of her growing
years with all of us. At sabi nga ni mareng Willa Cather? “Where there is great love, there are always
wishes.” Because birthdays are always new beginnings, new endeavors with new set of goals, sending
birthday messages and wishes is a tradition especially in our country, where we give high value to family
ties and relationship. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you these 18 Wishers for our debutant.
These are the people close to the heart of our celebrant, and whom she listens and confides to for inspiring
words and friendly advices. Starting off with the woman dearest to Cham’s heart, representing the mother
candle that will be a source of light for all the well-wishers for our dear Cham, here’s Mommy Cynthia
Lagua!

18 Wishes

HOST: Many ancient cultures believed that smoke carried their prayers to the heavens. So, at the count of
three, Mommy Cynthia and members of the 18 Wishes, let’s say “May all our wishes come true” and blow
our candles together. 1, 2, and 3…

Everybody blows the candle

HOST: Let me share another good-to-know trivia to everyone on how birthday cakes and candles came
about as a tradition during birthdays. Some believe that the tradition of birthday candles began in Ancient
Greece. Putting candles on a cake was a special way to pay tribute to the Greek moon goddess, Artemis.
They baked round cakes to symbolize the moon. Candles were added to represent the reflected moonlight.
Today’s tradition of making wishes before blowing out the birthday candles may have started with that
belief. Enough of all those did-you-know trivia because at this part of the program, our lovely and
stunning Cham will blow the candles on her birthday cake. And to complete that customary practice, let us
all sing joyfully a song I am very sure everybody is familiar with, the happy birthday song!

Debutant makes a wish and blows the candles.

HOST: Tonight’s celebration tells me that the best demonstration of gratitude in response to a wonderful
experience like this one can be contained in an overwhelming thank you. Maraming salamat po for making
me a part of this memorable occasion. And if there’s one person here tonight who is more than grateful to
see all of you, that would be our beloved celebrant, Cham. I’m giving the floor to our dear debutant to give
her message for all of us.

Thank you message from Cham

HOST: The night is young, and so are we, diba? Are you ready to party? We have just actually started.
Again, thank you for having me here to celebrate with all of you. Isang malakas na “Happy birthday,
Cham! naman diyan. At the count of three…1, 2, 3, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHAM! Our debutant is not
just a pretty face but also a very talented lady. To get the party started, throw your hands up in the air for
CHAM with the City Lights Band! This is your host, John Irene Del Campo, enjoy the rest of the night
everyone!

Cham opens the party by a song number with City Lights Band
THE 18 ROSES 18th birthday marks the end of teenage and the beginning of adulthood. It is a very special day in everyone's
life because on this a person cherishes the old moments filled with love, care and shelter but nowthe person is moving towards
adulthood where she will be loaded with responsibilities and independenceof thought and expression. As the debutante
receives her 18 roses let it be a reminder that like the rose life is beautiful, however,
there are thorns that signify that life isn’t tha
t easy for there are problems to be faced. It is up to her how she will handle these hurdles with the support of her family and
friends.Mu
sic please… (call the names one by one for the 18 roses).