Bizmen to treat 1,000 kids to X'mas party

CEBU, Philippines - More than 1,000 children of poor families from the 11 barangays of Cebu City will be given a Christmas party by a group of businessmen.

Bill Hillditch, executive director of the Cebu City Progressive Uptown Movement, said the event is aimed to make the children feel that Christmas is something they should cherish and look forward to.

Hillditch said the officials of barangays Capitol Site, Cogon-Ramos, Day-as, Kamagayan, Kamputhaw, Sambag 1, Sambag 2, San Antonio , Sta. Cruz, T. Padilla and Zapatera were required to identify 150 beneficiaries in their respective barangays.

He said a total of 1,650 children are expected to benefit from the event and each of them will be provided with food and gift worth P200. Mayor Michael Rama admired Hillditch for initiating the project supported by at least 21 business establishments that contributed financial resources for the realization of the event.

Rama said the event dubbed as “Pasko sa Kabataan sa Barangay” is in line with his program that encourages government and civilian partnership to promote his campaign for “barangayan” and “boluntarismo.”

City Hall staff Nikki Isma Jimenez explained that the four-hour event, which is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Fuente Osmeña rotunda, will be exclusive only to the concerned children.

Hillditch is hoping that with the assistance from some concerned businessmen, the Progressive Uptown Movement will be able to expand the project to other barangays next year.  (FREEMAN)