So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
A new one just begun.
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young.
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fears.
The lyrics of the song, titled “So this is Christmas,” were written by John Lennon in 1971 as a protest song but it became an airwaves staple during Christmas season, besides the Jose Mari Chan standards.
While cruising on our way to Barangay Bueno in Capas, Tarlac, a beautiful sunrise appeared on the horizon of the North Luzon Expressway as this photographer accompanied a group of volunteers from Tarlac Heritage Foundation Inc. (THFI) to distribute organic milk to the indigent children of Sitios Agos and Tala in the middle of the mountain ranges.
THFI partnered with the Third Mechanized Infantry Battalion to distribute at least 700 packs of three 134-gram packs of organic milk on December 22 and 23.
“It is our way of sharing and taking care of the children’s health and also for the senior citizens to enjoy the benefits of organic milk,” according to Dr. Isa Suntay, co-founder of the foundation.
According to Capt. Rizalino Espinelli, it was the best gift a mother and her children could get, especially when the community was hit by lockdown during the early period of the pandemic.
“It [the milk] is the best gift for the children because most of the children in these sitios are undernourished. It was one way for the Army to help in fighting malnutrition during pandemic,” one of the woman said in Filipino.
The woman present at the milk distribution said they were pervently praying that the pandemic will be over soon.
“The children are having difficulty because they could not play outside, they lack nutrition in their food and there is no face-to-face teaching. Our simple life has changed,” said Tisa Aburlin in Filipino.
Aburlin was accompanied by her grandchild to receive the organic milk.
She said whatever help they could get, they would not mind walking 5 kilometers, or for an hour, to the venue just to get the aid they urgently need.
The residents either walked or rode a motorbike during the gift-giving.
Another resident, who was very grateful for the assistance, said “it is only God” who could summon the people to receive their deliverance.
Most of the residents are Christians, including the Aeta community.
The gift-giving made the Christmas of the beneficiaries a happy one. However, they still continue to pray to God to end Covid-19 so their suffering would soon be over.