Thu | 12.24.2020 | 9:00 AM

An elderly resident from the town of San Andres, Quezon receives a Christmas gift pack from PAGCOR.

Although reeling from the impact of the pandemic and the destructive typhoons that hit the country lately, many locals from the provinces of Albay and Quezon province still experienced the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Orlando Subion, Jr. (left) from Cabugao, Bato, Catanduanes receives P30,000 financial aid from PAGCOR. Subion, who lost his wife at the height of Super Typhoon Rolly’s fury in November, was one of the seven families from Catanduanes who received cash aid from PAGCOR.

From December 20 to 23, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) distributed Christmas gift packs to close to 3,000 less privileged families from the towns of San Andres and Unisan in Quezon Province, and San Pablo City in Laguna.

Bacacay, Albay’s first lady Lara Romano (2nd from right) and Albay Board Member Victor Ziga (2nd from left) receive the Christmas gift packs from PAGCOR representatives during the agency’s “Tuloy ang Pasko” Christmas outreach in Bacacay, Albay.

PAGCOR likewise distributed Christmas gift packs to some 1,000 families from the towns of Sto. Domingo, Bacacay, and Tiwi in Albay. The town of Tiwi was one of the worst-hit municipalities in Albay after Super Typhoon Rolly made its second landfall in the area last November 2020.

The gift-giving activities were part of PAGCOR’s “Tuloy ang Pasko” project, which commenced on December 8, 2020.

PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim, who spearheaded the gift-giving activities in San Andres, Quezon said that the agency decided to reach out to some badly hit communities to spread the joy of the Christmas season despite the challenges of the pandemic and climate change.

“Katulad ng ibang lugar na nasalanta ng mga nagdaang bagyo, matindi din ang naging damage ng mga kalamidad dito sa San Andres. Kung kaya’t kami sa PAGCOR ay pumunta sa inyo upang makapag-bigay ng kaunting tulong. Meron kaming mga dalang bigas, canned goods, noodles, coffee, sugar at biscuits upang may mapagsaluhan ang inyong pamilya ngayong Kapaskuhan,” he said.

Apart from the Christmas gift packs, Lim also announced that PAGCOR, together with Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. of Solaire Resort and Casino will soon build a hospital that will cater to the medical needs of San Andres locals. “Maraming namamatay dito dahil masyadong malayo ang ospital. Sa tulong ng Bloomberry at PAGCOR, masisimulan na sa Enero ng susunod na taon ang pagpapatayo ng San Andres Municipal Hospital,” Lim cited.

He added that PAGCOR will also build a multi-purpose evacuation center in the locality to help protect the locals from destructive typhoons.

Aside from the gift-giving activities in Albay and Quezon Province, PAGCOR also provided P30,000 financial aid to a family in Catanduanes who lost a loved one at the height of Super Typhoon Rolly in November.

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