December 21, 2007. Raul and I returned to San Bernabe Elementary School (SBES) – this time with a lot of generous friends from PAGCOR who admirably set aside portions of their daily earnings for this worthy mission.
We had a convoy of about six (6) vehicles which drove through several kms of rough road (free kabuki makeup for the passers-by), but this was way better than mud. We were held up a bit in leaving Laoag City for Sarrat because they closed off the road in front of the city plaza for a celebration.
When we arrived at the SBES, the kids have just wrapped up their Christmas party. Like hands manning a conveyor belt, the PAGCORIANs unloaded the gifts and the snacks with precision. Nobody had to tell them what to do as they are veterans of outreach programs such as this. No one was idle, either – even their children, whom they brought along, helped group the schoolchildren for the games.
I would have wanted to record the kids' cheering and squeals of delight for posterity, but I was manning the sound system (and at the same time I wanted to simply watch them enjoy the games), so I just left the documentation to the others in the party.
After the distribution of prizes, we gave away their snacks of pancit, waffle dogs and hotdogs-on-sticks, and tetrapak juice. There were more than enough for the 69 kids and 50 adults we have prepared for. Their School Principal, Mrs. Dolores Domingo, who also happened to be the wife of our Vice-Mayor in Laoag, invited us into her office for some snacks as well.
The adults and the kids then formed a line to receive their packed goodies plus an additional cash gift from "Santa" Rey, Mrs. Jacobe, and I (we only handed them out, of course – these were pooled donations from all the PAGCORians who participated in the activity).
After a few rushed Canon-izations (it was getting dark and the schoolchildren had to walk home), it was time for us to say our goodbyes and "we'll-be-back's". There were a few snags, however – one of the cars in the convoy wouldn't start and a van broke down a fourth of the way into the trip – but we looked after each other and everyone got home safe and sound.
Thank you to all those who participated and contributed in their own little way for this worthwhile cause.
"In Faith and Hope the world will disagree, but all mankind's concern is Charity." - Alexander Pope, in Essay On Man
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