Letters from Santa bring Christmas cheer

MANILA, Philippines — For the second year, a non-profit online group has spread Christmas cheer through an exchange of letters between Filipino children, both young and old – and Santa Claus.

Since last week, Santa Claus_PH sent replies to more than a hundred letters and postcards it received from all over the country since July this year.

Santa Claus’ letters contained stickers and handwritten notes on Christmas-themed postcards, placed in an envelope with a special stamp issued by the Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost).

This year’s Christmas stamps from PHLPost featured “Mother and Child,” a series of four paintings by Al Perez.

Among those who received Santa Claus’ replies were Grade 1 pupil Anton and Grade 7 student Jasmine, who both live in Taguig City.

Writing to Santa Claus, Anton drew his ideal Christmas setting of a colorfully lit Christmas tree surrounded by gifts, while Jasmine shared “her achievements in school and also the struggles,” they told The STAR.

Both children “believe, admire and love” Santa Claus, a white-bearded Western legendary icon donning red trousers adorned with white fur and believed to be giving away presents.

They received the letters from Santa Claus last Dec. 15. The kids said Santa Claus reminded them “to be happy and good at school, and to be better children of God.”

Santa Claus’ letters came from the post office of Tiwi town in Albay, thousands of miles away from his supposed address in the North Pole, according to tradition.

The children have no idea that Santa Claus’ letters came from Santa Claus_PH’s volunteers composed of professionals, students, housewives and even men in uniform mostly based in Metro Manila and Bicol regions.

One of Santa Claus_PH’s “elves” in his 30s, who refused to be named, shared with The STAR that Santa Claus’ effort to reply to letters sent to him last year, when restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic were gradually lifted, inspired the group to follow suit.

They relied on donations from across the country like Metro Manila, Cebu, Leyte, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Bicol to keep the cause going, for instance to acquire Christmas-themed postcards, stickers and PHLPost stamps.

They chose Tiwi to be the delivery address of the letters to Santa Claus because most of them spent their childhood there.

“We were introduced to letters, postcards and stamps because of the efforts of the personnel of the Tiwi post office, they never fail to amaze,” the “elf” said.

He added that Santa Claus_PH observed an “increasing interest” in the habit of writing to the beloved Christmas figure using pens, paper or postcards and postal stamps.

This year, the group received double the number of letters it collected last year.

“The main goal of Santa Claus_PH is to listen to all the kids and young at heart. And trying to cheer them up regardless of what walks of life they are in,” the “elf” said.

Accessible via Facebook, Santa Claus_PH encourages children and the young at heart to send their letters to Santa Claus – with postal delivery address in the post office of Tiwi, Albay – starting July 28 of each year.

They can expect Santa Claus’ response by December.

“Even only one child will send, Santa Claus will reply because it is the spirit of Christmas,” the “elf” said.