Gift-Giving amidst calamity

In the remote village of Amontay, which was also hit by Super Typhoon Odette, in the Municipality of Binalbagan, more than 60 families received slippers and holiday food packs during the outreach program conducted by a teacher of Payao National High School, Alfe G. Jardinico, and his family, on Tuesday, December 28, entitled “Pamaskwa sa Tangkuban 2021”.

Each family received a kilo of spaghetti and canned goods as well as sauces for their pasta while the children were given slippers.
Candies and some cash prizes were also given away during the parlor games in the activity.

According to Alfe, he visited the place a few months ago to check on their property when he found out that his family still has a parcel of land in the area which triggered the gift-giving initiative as he saw the depressed state of the residents and intends to make this an annual activity.

He also said that during his first visit, residents pleaded with him not to remove them from their property as they have nowhere else to go which he assured the residents that his family has no plans of ousting them considering their state of life and that some of them where his playmates when he was a kid while most of the people in the area are those his mother grew up with.

To come up with the funds for the program, Alfe gathered resources from his family, friends, and acquaintances which included Payao Village Chief Paul Vincent Tan, who also took part in the said activity and is currently vying for a councilor post in the Municipality of Binalbagan, BokBok Yulo, who is also vying for the same post, and Dino Yulo, who is running for Congressman in the 5th District, as well as Ma. Teresa Valois-Taganile, the philanthropist owner of Kenneth Construction and General Merchandise.* (Conrado D. Garcia text and photos)