Fritzgerald Padilla has a busy two weeks leading to New Year’s Day on January 1 as five of the main events of the 47th Silahis ng Pasko are scheduled to be staged at least three or four days apart from each other.
It starts with the Share a Joy event on December 18 where he, as the heir of Baguio Santa Claus, will play Jolly Ol’ St. Nick to indigent young patients at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
The 9 AM event at the BGHMC Pediatric Ward will be gift giving to the indigent young patients of the hospital where chocolates and fruits will be given.
However, due to the Covid-19 protocol, Padilla and entourage will wait outside the hospital and let the nurses do the rounds in giving the gifts to the young patients.
“Maybe we will just wait at the windows take a peek and see how the children will react when they get their gift,” said Padilla, who in 2019 started the Silahis ng Pasko – Legacy, a new chapter in the four decade month-long Christmas activity conceived by his late dad, a newsman and councilor, Narciso Padilla.
“SnP will turn over assorted foodie bags for the children but we won’t be able to go inside the hospital ward and let the nurses go around for the distribution of our simple gifts. But we will be waving to them from the windows. It will be such a sight to see the smile of the kids faces,” he said.
On September 22, it will be the Lucky Christmas Family where some cash and grocery items will be given to at least three indigent families at the Newton Hotel.
Padilla said that there will be a Christmas card making contest among the children of the beneficiary-families and where cash prizes coming from the BGHMC Board will be given to the winners.
On Christmas Day on the 25th, the Christmas Baby will be named and who will be given cash and gifts by the new generation Baguio Santa Claus.
“This time we will be ready with more gifts so we can give the other babies as well. It is not fair when you get to give one with so many, while the others simply watch,” he said as gifts for the other babies are now being prepared.
Another three days and on the 28th will be the TALA and Kafagway/Kordillera International Sports Luminary Awards Podium or KISLAP also at Newtown.
Five elderly Baguio residents and 12 athletes from various disciplines will be feted during the three hour ceremony.
The year does not end on December 31 but it will be on January 1 when the SnP selects the Lucky New Year Baby who will have similar gifts like the Christmas Baby. Again, Padilla said that SnP is ready to give gifts to other babies not chosen as the “lucky one”.
The SnP 47th year was launched last December 8 at the Shrine of the Brown Madonna in Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet where a mass was celebrated.
