Christmas by Manila Bay to benefit Marawi

With the Christmas season beginning to set in, the spirit of giving lingers in the air. And there is no better way to share the joy than to bring back the smiles of children affected by the Marawi crisis.

This is the main goal of the Christmas by Manila Bay event.

Organized by the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST), the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the three-day celebration will bring a number of Christmasthemed activities to the Quirino Grandstand in Manila this December.

ISST president Mina Gabor explained that that the event will feature various components such as a Christmas Market, parade, Simbang Gabi masses and a Christmas Concert to be led by ABSCBN.

The Christmas market, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Center for International Trade Exposition and Missions (DTICITEM), will have a total of 300 exhibitors.

Apart from offering different products for sale, the Christmas Market will give the public a chance to share happiness with children in the conflict-stricken area of Marawi, as a booth will be open to accommodate gifts to be given to the children.

“Our goal is to be able to get 60,000 gifts that we can give to the children of Marawi, Leyte and Hospicio de San Jose,” Gabor said, adding that anyone can offer gifts, but these items must cost a minimum of P200.

While the Christmas mar- ket offers products that you can contribute to the gift-giving program, Gabor said gifts from outside the market can also be handed in, provided that these will be wrapped in the Christmas market. “We just want to make sure that everything is secure. We would appreciate it if you can bring the gift and there’ll be a wrapping center.”

All donated gifts will be collected and turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for distribution.

“We realize that there are so many who want to give, but they cannot give so much,” Gabor said. “I think by giving a small gift like this, the families can actually share their graces with the children of Marawi and Leyte.”

Moreover, in line with spreading more happiness this Christmas season, Gabor said the event intends to also bring joy to the public participating in the gift-giving program by offering a lot of activities during the Christmas by Manila Bay celebration.

Among these activities is the Christmas Parade, which will begin at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and will move towards the Quirino Grandstand.

In addition, the Christmas Concert will entertain the public as it will bring various celebrities from the ABS-CBN network.

“We must also be able to return the gesture by making this a very happy event,” Gabor said.

The Christmas by Manila Bay event will happen from Dec. 15 to 17 at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.