Chinatown Global Winners Plant 70 Sampaguita Saplings at Rizal Park

Hotel Lucky Chinatown joined pageant winners and community partners in an activity connecting Filipino-Chinese heritage with environmental care.

Seventy sampaguita saplings were planted at the Chinese Garden in Rizal Park on October 22 as Mr. & Ms. Chinatown Global winners joined Hotel Lucky Chinatown in an initiative celebrating Filipino-Chinese heritage through environmental action.

Ben Siao, Mr. Chinatown Global 2026, and Maria Yna Angela Uy, Ms. Chinatown Global 2026, participated alongside the pageant’s runners-up, CHiNOY TV, the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), and Hotel Lucky Chinatown associates.

The activity brought cultural appreciation into a shared public space, giving participants a practical way to contribute to the garden while drawing attention to the traditions and connections it represents.

A Garden That Reflects Shared Heritage

The Chinese Garden provided a fitting setting for the planting activity. According to the event background supplied by the organizers, the garden was constructed between 1966 and 1967 as a gift from the local Chinese-Filipino community, reflecting friendship and cultural ties between the Philippines and China.

For Hotel Lucky Chinatown, part of Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts, the initiative also connects with its location in Binondo, where Filipino and Chinese influences continue to shape everyday community life.

Hotel Lucky Chinatown General Manager Geraldine Gaw said the partnership reflects the hotel’s commitment to preserving traditions, bringing people together, and supporting environmental responsibility.

By involving pageant titleholders, hotel associates, and institutional partners, the activity gave participants a common task rooted in both cultural identity and care for public gardens.

Part of a Broader Sampaguita Advocacy

The planting marks the first phase of Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts’ sampaguita planting efforts at Rizal Park in collaboration with the NPDC. The partners plan to continue working together on future planting activities.

It also forms part of the hospitality group’s Sampaguita advocacy, which combines environmental stewardship with community participation.

According to Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts, the initiative has resulted in more than 7,000 sampaguita seedlings planted across eight destinations since its launch in August 2023, benefiting over 40 communities.

The Rizal Park activity adds another location to the group’s planting efforts while bringing its advocacy to a garden associated with Filipino-Chinese friendship.

Taking the Advocacy Beyond the Pageant

As part of the partnership, Siao and Uy were also named Mr. & Ms. Megaworld Global Hotels & Resorts.

During their reign, they will serve as ambassadors for the Sampaguita advocacy, helping raise awareness of efforts to nurture the country’s national flower and encourage environmental consciousness.

Their involvement extends their pageant roles into community participation, with the planting activity providing a concrete starting point.

At the Chinese Garden, the shared task of planting 70 saplings connected a celebration of heritage with an ongoing commitment to caring for the spaces that help tell its story.

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