Biggest ‘Pasko sa uptown’: 4,000 indigent children to join Christmas Party

CEBU, Philippines – At least 4000 indigent children from all 80 barangays in Cebu City will join the Grand Children’s Christmas Party tomorrow in Labangon Elementary School, the biggest “Pasko sa Uptown” event so far for the past eight years.

The Cebu Progressive Uptown Movement, along with the Cebu City Volunteers and 138 sponsors coming from the business sector, will shoulder the event “to bring cheers to indigent children,” especially those coming from the urban poor and mountainous barangays.

“Before, they thought that the government hasn’t think for the children, but now it’s different,” said Cebu Business Center executive director Aniceto Canturias.

He said they have been doing a lot of efforts to make the event possible, including requesting for the excess from government offices’ funds, which has reached up to P470,000.

With P840,000 donated by the business sector, a total amount of P1.3 million will be used by the organizers to finance tomorrow’s event.

The event will be attended by 4,600 participants to be exact or 50 kids from each barangay, including 600 Gender and Development (GAD) focal personnel who will chaperon the indigent children, seven to 11 years old.

Barangay officials are tasked to secure the beneficiaries, especially in fetching them to and from the venue.

Canturias assured the safety of the beneficiaries during the event as there will be barangay tanods and police personnel, both in uniform and civilian attire, to be deployed.

Also, Canturias said event organizers have partnered with the Cebu City Medical Center for medical assistance.

Supposedly, the event will be held at Camp Lapu-Lapu, but Labangon Elementary School was later chosen as it could accommodate more tents for the participants.

San Jose barangay captain Joventino Ardaba thanked the organizers  including his barangay for the second time.

“Di matukib sa p’ung kon kita makadawat. Di sad masaysay sa libro kon kita makahatag,” he said.

Pasko sa Uptown was launched in 2007 and only five urban barangays were then invited. The number was expanded, as the program aims to cater to more indigent children from mountainous and coastal barangays. — Saison O. Dampios Jr., USJ-R Intern/NSA (FREEMAN)