Christmas Party, Games and Presents

With schools closed for the holidays, some Bahaghari neighborhood kids frolic on the beach, their laughter infectious.

In two days, of course, the whole world knows it'll be Christmas. Island people seem extra generous these days, seemingly not conscious of the resulting increase in their electric bill for December. Christmas lights are left a-blinking along the streets all through the night illuminating for the most part only the stray dogs.


'Pidong', 6, John Peter to his classmates, takes a look at some of the gifts yet to be wrapped.

Kids in my neighborhood are excited to learn that they’d be treated to a Christmas party and gift-giving organized by friends, Nestor and Rudy, that they started last year just for fun. Weeks ago, the two wound their way through toys sold at Divisoria, stalls picking out an assortment of dolls, racers cars, helicopters, balls and flying discs, rackets, toy guns, hula hoops, swords, boxing gloves, etc.

It was no joke for them they tell me to wade with huge plastic bags full of toys through streams of humanity there enmeshed in their own fancies or worries. No taxis dared to ply the area as the traffic was hopeless, but the good part was the sight of kuliglig that just came perfectly and quietly when their plastic bags were about to be torn apart.

Really, the sweat and aching feet didn’t seem to matter, as the generous spirit of giving was simply overwhelming for the two, I suspect, thinking only of the smiles on the children’s faces that their gifts would bring. So about 50 kids (there were only 13 last year), 12 years and below are to receive those Christmas presents during a special party and games for them on December 28, Ninos Inocentes Day in my Bahaghari place courtesy of Rudy and Nestor.

Not everyone probably will receive a present like these school children from a village in Sta. Cruz.
...including this little girl.
But maybe one day in the not too distant future all the other Marinduque children will receive their Christmas presents, too, from many more would-be Santa Clauses.