Christmas party assured for Mandaue’s indigent kids

CEBU, Philippines – A group looking after the welfare of Mandaue City’s indigent children will still hold a Christmas party for over 700 kids even if the supposed annual activity that finances it failed to materialize last month.

"Definitely (we will still have a party for the kids). Naa pa ma’y nahabilin nga budget from last year's Horror Booth," said Sarah Cortes, chairman of the Mandaue City Council for the Protection of Children (MCCCPC).

Over the past years, the council has hosted Christmas parties for the benefit of indigent kids or I-kids of Mandaue City using proceeds from the Horror Booth at the City’s Sports Complex, as well as funds from individual and group donors.

This year, the booth was not set up.

But Cortes said they still have enough funds to stage the party in December.  She said they have at least P200,000 in funds from the Horror Booth account alone, which they have earmarked for this year's party.

At least 650 I-kids from the different barangays and at least 100 from the city proper are expected to join the party. Apart from the free lunch and snacks, the kids will also have games and get giveaways.

Cortes, wife of Mayor Jonas Cortes, said the presence of vendors at the side of the sports complex has prevented them to hold the Halloween presentation this year. The booth should have opened days before the All Saints’ Day, she said.

It was a similar situation last year and they still pushed through with the horror booth, thus she said a stampede had almost occurred due to a lack of enough space where the visitors could queue up.

"Last year, galisod mi sa crowd control. Hapit mag-stampede sa kadaghan sa tawo. And we want to avoid that to happen. Safety first before anything else," Cortes said.

Cortes also said the vendors were allowed to stay at the side of the sports complex after the 2013 earthquake which had partly damaged their public market.

That year the city also did not hold a similar event. (FREEMAN)