Christmas Market at Fort Santiago: Shop, eat, care

The Christmas by Manila Bay’s Christmas Market at Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila, will afford shoppers and visitors the chance to shop for quality goods and delicacies and at the same time extend a helping hand to children from war-ravaged Marawi City and other areas and orphanages.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight until Sunday, December 17.

The Christmas Market, which was formally opened yesterday by Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, will showcase an array of local products ranging from arts and crafts, housewares, garments, fashion accessories and delicacies.

Supporting the event, aside from the DOT are the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), and the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP).

“It is something that you can really be proud of,” said ISST President Mina T. Gabor, who is also a former DOT chief.

A particular booth at the Christmas Market will accept gift donations for the children of Marawi City, the soldiers who defended the city, as well as children from Leyte, Hospicio De San Jose.

The gift must ideally be worth at least R200, and will be wrapped in the said booth.

“We wanted the individuals, the ordinary people to feel that they also been part of it,” said Gabor.

The donated gifts will be collected and turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and will be airlifted to beneficiaries by Philippine Airlines.

Concerts and performances by Filipino artists, choral groups and bands will likewise add to the Christmas vibe at 6 p.m. today and tomorrow.

Another highlight of the Christmas by Manila Bay, aside from the Christmas Market, is the Christmas parade at 4 p.m. on Sunday from the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex to the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park which will highlight the essence of a traditional Filipino Christmas.