Time for giving

It’s the first of December today and Christmas is in the air. We think of Christmas as a time for giving and if there are givers, there are receivers. This wonderful exercise of giving and receiving is what our yearly Christmas contest is all about.

It’s easy to join. All you have to do is to answer four questions correctly, write down your answers on a slip of paper and send to “The Christmas Contest,” The Philippine STAR, Sports Section, R. Oca Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Manila. Each entry must contain an actual clipping of the front-page masthead of The Philippine STAR taken from any issue dated Dec. 1 to Dec. 15 this year. Aside from the answers, you must write your name, age, occupation (if student, what grade or level, course, school, location), address, telephone number (for quick contact), signature and in 100 words or less, what makes you read The Philippine STAR from cover to cover on the same slip of paper. One entry means one slip of paper and one actual clipping of the front-page masthead (no Xerox copies allowed). You may send multiple entries.

We will pick out 25 winners from entries with the correct answers. Winners will take home a bundle of prizes donated by our generous sponsors. Entries will be put in a box from where we will draw the winners. Entries may be mailed or brought by hand to reach The Philippine STAR office on or before 4 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 15. You may send in entries now.

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Over the last 11 years since we introduced our Christmas contest, we’ve been able to generate loads of prizes for our readers. Last year, the first prize winner received P40,000 in cash, P14,000 in gift certificates, a World Traveller suitcase from PLDT, a trolley bag and mini-desk fan from Meralco, a celebration crate with four bottles of quality wine and a tote bag from Metro Pacific, shirts from the ALA Boxing Gym of Cebu, a handsome sports bag from Nike, an authentic NBA watch from NBA Asia Ltd., a Smart Bro broadband kit and T-shirts from the PBA, a Phiten wrist band, a backpack from Bodyworx owner Kathy Lim Uy, Ginebra San Miguel premium gin and Gran Matador brandy from the Barangay Ginebra PBA team, a Philippine team jacket, bag, shirt and basketball from the Philippine Sports Commission, a Gosen badminton bag and Asics bag from Sonak Sports, magazines from Emerald Headway, cap, bag, notepad and basketball from Air 21, products from Alaska Milk, cases of San Mig Light beer from San Miguel Corp., products from Ever Bilena, T-shirts from Rain Or Shine, giftpacks from B-Meg, products from Powerade and many, many more.  

Donating cash were Rain Or Shine owners Terry Que and Raymund Yu, sportsman Hermie Esguerra, Dr. Mikee Romero, POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr., POC vice president Manny Lopez and Games and Amusements Board chairman Monju Guanzon. The gift certificates were donated by Philippine Taekwondo Association president Robert Aventajado, Planet Sports president Anton Gonzalez, Burger King and Niknok Pritson Manok.

We’re hoping to give even more prizes to our readers this year. It’s our small way to bring together givers and receivers in the Christmas spirit. It’s also our way to thank all our readers for their support through the years.

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All donations will be acknowledged in the sports section of The Philippine STAR. Prizes will be awarded to the 25 winners on Wed., Dec. 21, at The Philippine STAR office. A photograph of the contest winners with their prizes will be published in The Philippine STAR.

Here are the four questions:

1. Who are the two Mexican fighters Manny Pacquiao has faced in separate trilogies?

2. What track event does recent Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Maristella Torres compete in?

3. Who are the Philippines’ two Olympic silver medalists and what years did they win their silver medals?

4. Who is the reigning PBA MVP?

Don’t forget to write your name, age, occupation (if student, your grade or level, course, school, location), address, telephone number and in 100 words or less, what makes you read The Philippine STAR from cover to cover on each entry with an actual clipping of the front-page masthead of any Philippine STAR issue from Dec. 1 to 15 this year. Your answers to the four questions must be correct in order to qualify for the draw.

Send in your entries now and earn the chance to join the winners’ circle of The Philippine STAR.