Written by: Kuya Justin, U! Happy Core Member
A well-known business quote states that, “True wealth is created by creating value”. Whether it be in terms of financial success or spiritual fulfilment, the only way we can achieve wealth and improve the quality of our lives is by helping other people improve theirs. For our Saturday event last December 5, 2018, our sponsors from the Network Department of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) epitomized this principle, as 27 volunteers from their company share their blessings and celebrate with 33 elders from Hospicio de San Jose.
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation is one of the leading oil refining and marketing businesses in the Philippines. For our driven sponsors, each day is spent by working hard in their individual roles, as they play a part to fuel PSPC’s goal of being the most admired and trusted company that powers progress for the Filipino through high-quality energy products & services. However, for this occasion, they bring their values and commitment to a whole ‘nother level by taking part in Hospicio de San Jose’s cause.
Hospicio de San Jose is a two-century old foster care institution which has catered to orphans, elderly, the abandoned and those with special needs, since the Spanish times. It was built on a vision of a transformed and empowered church of the poor where the young and elderly coming from diversified and marginal families can find a home. As both PSPC and Hospicio aim to fuel progress for the Filipino people, it was the perfect opportunity for the group to give back and share their blessings this Christmas season.
The event started at 2pm in the afternoon and was led by Ate Char and Ate Beth, core members of U!Happy. To start, the volunteers were asked to gather in front our beneficiaries and introduce themselves by sharing their name and favorite Christmas song. What made the introduction special was how the elders sang each song shared by our volunteers which shows the strength of the Christmas spirit in our country. Afterwards, they were asked to form pairs with the elders of Hospicio and familiarize themselves by sharing what they love to do during Christmas season.
The first activity was a performance by U!Happy’s lead singer, Ate Charmaine. Since both our volunteers and elders loved to sing, everyone sang along as our singer performed classic hits such as “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko” by Rey Valera and “Close to You” by The Carpenters. The singing continued through out the whole event as some of our elders volunteered to sing their originally composed songs. As a prize, each one of them were given colorful blankets, perfect for the cold weather ahead.
The second activity was a performance by Kuya Kobe, the master magician of U!!Happy events. Kuya Coby impressed everyone with a wide variety of tricks such as the magical appearance of candles, sticks and doves. The one which brought the most fun and laughter was the cup guessing game. For this game, ten winners who can guess correctly, in which of the three cups the bottle is kept, will receive Php 1,000 each, sponsored by Sir Jojo. However, even after several turns, no one won as this was merely a trick meant to deceive the eye.
The third activity was a Chicken Cheese Spring Roll cooking workshop led by Ate Beth. To begin, Ate Beth demonstrated the cooking process for all our volunteers and elders. Afterwards, each pair helped one another in preparing the rolls prior to deep frying. Lastly, they proceeded to the frying station wherein they can cook and finally share the meal they worked on together. This was followed shortly by merienda where our volunteers prepared a healthy balanced meal of vegetables, chicken and rice for our elders.
As a final gift, our sponsors distributed pillow giveaways and loot bags to each of our elders. The day was concluded with a group photo of all participants, as our elders gave hugs of gratitude and farewell to our volunteers.
It was very inspiring to see how a company like PSPC is able to find time and resources to create value in a different way, apart from the already difficult challenges of the business industry. For some, this event may seem as just a one-time celebration with the elders, a passing day like all the others. But for the Hospicio community, it was a special moment with foster brothers and sisters who shared fun and laughter through meaningful activities together. As Filipinos, it is so easy to care for our own families and friends. But in order to effect change in our society, we must practice spreading acts of kindness throughout our lives and promote a culture of strangers caring for strangers.
