It’s a month of celebration of love and giving. From December 9 to 10, Pines City Colleges’ Angels in Green did not miss the chance to give back to the community.
On the first day, a hundred pupils from Lucban Elementary School aged from 5 to 12 years old visited the PCC covered court to enjoy a Christmas party with the institution’s employees. Breaking barriers and creating a comfortable atmosphere where the children can feel the Christmas values, staff from different departments were given the opportunity to create a team with them.
Before the event started, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Marian Grace A. Gascon, gave the welcoming remarks. She talked about what Christmas is all about and why giving and caring for others is important. Dr. Gascon also assured the kids of the fun activities waiting for them. Following that, PCC Extension Coordinator, Ms. Rowena Acacio, warmed up the celebration by involving the participants in a “Hi-Hello” crowd response game. She also asked questions about Christmas and the children immediately raised their hands to answer.
Later, College of Physical Therapy Extension Coordinator Mr. Jose Walitang and the General Education Department headed the games. They made sure that all the pupils had a chance to enjoy themselves. Equipped with competitiveness and sportsmanship, the employees also gave their best to motivate and teach them on how to play.
After the games, employees were called to get their presents and meet with the pupil assigned to them. Each child was filled with joy and excitement as they were introduced with PCC employees and received their mystery gifts.
Before the event ended, Lucban Elementary School representative, Mr. John Parayao, gave their heartfelt gratitude to Pines City Colleges for its unwavering support to the children of the said school. Food packs and loot bags were handed out afterward.
The party was wrapped-up with the children full of gifts, prizes, and food. Even with the success of the first event, preparation for the following day continued.
Welcomed by the barangay’s kagawad, Pines City Colleges’ Angels in Green, along with student representatives from the Colleges of Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Dentistry, drove to Barangay Pucsusan, Baguio City to celebrate the Christmas party with 80 children in the area.
Each student present at the party teamed up with a child to play and enjoy the games. Assisted with students from each department, Mr. Walitang once again headed the games. All the children had fun and did their best to cooperate with their group mates. To add to the excitement, another aim of the activity was to give basic health education to the participants.
Students from the College of Nursing created a soap costume as they taught proper hand washing while the Pharmacy students led a question-and-answer game where the children learned about nutritious fruits and vegetables. The College of Dentistry imparted knowledge on the appropriate way of brushing one’s teeth. The College of Physical Therapy encouraged everyone to dance while the College of Respiratory Therapy educated the participants on respiratory etiquette.
The party continued with the children receiving their prizes and gifts from PCC employees. With the joint effort of the different departments to provide, the participants also received loot bags and hygiene kits containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, face towel, nail cutter, and shampoos. Other employees from PCC also gave monetary donations for the success of the event. At the end of the activity, the Supreme Student Council provided 120 food packs that the children enjoyed.
Once again, Pines City Colleges embodied the essence of Christmas through sharing blessings not just within the institution but also in the community. PCC is looking forward to reaching more people and creating an environment that sustains a well-balanced and healthy community.
