President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has recognized the joy that the children bring in the Christmas season, emphasizing that they are ‘the biggest treasure that we have here in the Philippines.’
Marcos said this as he, along with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, led this Saturday’s gift-giving program at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang.
According to Marcos, the ‘smiles’ of the 3,000 children from Department of Social Welfare and Development Centers and nearby barangays who joined them in the gift-giving made him experience the feeling of Christmas, even amid the issues currently surrounding the country.
‘We are grateful that even though the challenges ahead of us are heavy, we still have a little time, especially at Christmas, when we need to remember, our good fortune in life, our blessings in the past year,’ Marcos said.
‘And the biggest treasure that we have here in the Philippines are these, our children, the future of our country,’ he added.
It was in 2022 when the Office of the President initiated the Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya Nationwide Gift-Giving, aiming ‘to create meaningful Christmas experiences for Filipino children.’ /mr