Dilapidated houses, rubbish at the streets, families are displaced, resources are scarce all these and more is the picture of the areas where typhoon Yolanda made landfall. The news made the extent of the  damage visible but my naked eye witnessed   the flicker of hope and joy in the people in Leyte and Samar. In the midst of  darkness caused by the wreckage; people still managed to smile, to be grateful and to offer a hand to help. Like a fruit that is being peeled off, true character of Filipinos revealed after the typhoon struck Samar and Leyte.

The malevolent havoc that Yolanda brought is all over the news but the resilience, optimism and unwavering faith of people are not intricately featured nor published on limelight.

We are on our fourth day of sharing Christ to the kids through gift giving and Christmas Party in Tacloban and Samar. Its been four days but we ( friends who joined us in this project) cannot help but be amazed and be touched by the smiles and joy of the kids. Whenever Santa Clause enters the crowd (we never had a covered venue) the kids welcomed him with so much excitement,   expressed in crescendo voices. Santa never fails make the  kids happy regardless of the gift they received.

Santa gets bigger every day because the man behind that costume wore three different individuals. Regardless of his size and the quality of his voice saying "ho ho hoo.. Merry Christmas", Santa never failed to make me smile everytime he goes out from multicab, tent or whatever barrier where we can hide him. I was happy and grateful not because I received a bag of candies but because behind that Santa Clause costume are victims of typhoon too!





Day 1 @ Paraclete Parish: Santa Clause Clinth Dayandayan, lost their house  or at least 20% of their house remained standing

Day 2 @ Basey, Samar: Santa Clause Arbie was in Tacloban when typhoon Yolanda happened. Experienced the danger and the chaos after the typhoon.

Day 3 @Guiuan, Samar: Santa Clause John Mark lost their house, at least a portion of their home was left.


They have lost their homes, been eating relief goods for a couple of weeks and have suffered from Yolanda's fierceness; they are victims too but they willingly offered themselves to join us in sharing joy to the kids. They are victims too but that does not stop them from offering what they have.

St. Nicholas' generosity simplified the real meaning of Christmas. It is in helping those who are in need and in making other people happy that Christ is being shared and  the joy of Christ's coming is experienced. It is in compassion and in solidarity with those who are in need that Christ's coming is truly celebrated. Whoever puts on the generosity of St. Nicholas never fails to make people happy; both the recepient of the gift or the spectator of the  generosity.

Merry Christmas everyone!
Share Christ this Christmas!