Season of Giving in the City of Love: Christmas day is on the horizon and the holiday spirit is already felt in the City of Love. It is seen and felt in government offices, public spaces, establishments, and homes in Iloilo City.
In the country, the Christmas season begins at the start of the the ‘-ber’ months (September). Iloilo City is looking forward to a vibrant holiday season with colorful lights at Esplanade 01 and around the metro. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Iloilo(PCCI-Iloilo), together with the Iloilo City Government is set to organize its yearly Ilonggo Christmas Parol of Hope, a social responsibility program of the business group.
The Christmas Parol of Hope is a program that supports the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology VI’s (BJMP VI) livelihood project, and will illuminate major thoroughfares in the City. This year, PCCI aspires to bring the parol to major roads that lead to neighboring towns, to bring the festivity outside the confines of the metro.
The project is expected to bring life to the city streets.
One of the avid supporters of this project is SM City Iloilo. The mall is known for extending assistance to communities through its various partnerships. As the countdown for Christmas begins, SM City Iloilo came up with a partnership aligned with the theme of ‘Happiness in SM Supermalls’. The campaign “100 Days of Happiness”, aspires to create a ‘Circle of Happiness’ in the communities through viable livelihood support extended to non government organizations, and local government units to raise funds for advocacies.
The concept includes SM partners selling merchandize within mall premises. Proceeds will then be donated to a beneficiary or charity. For the campaign in SM City Iloilo, the mall partners with Fiesta! Favorite Souvenirs, a local business higlighting the festive spirit of the Philippines through its souvenirs, which has become a go-to for tourists, foreign and local, and Pinoy Balikbayans.
Moreover, the inmates of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Carmelite Sisters, Salngan Women’s Cooperative, and Bayi Bags of Leon, offer their handmade products for selling, and proceeds will be given to Asilo de Molo of the Daughters of Charity.
The selling booth is located on the Lower Ground Floor, North Point in front of Cafe Iloilo. This campaign encourages Ilonggos to support the advocacies of individuals and organizations that provide livelihood opportunities for communities. This proves that, indeed, Iloilo is the City of Love.
