Kalayaan Grounds, Malacañan Palace
December 3, 2022

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. offered the lighting of the Christmas tree to children in his message during the traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony held at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañan Palace.

“I have always believed that Christmas is really for the children, and so we have made, done everything that we can to make sure that every child, every Filipino child has a Christmas,” the President said.

The Chief Executive also conferred awards to the winners of the ‘Isang Bituin, Isang Mithiin’ nationwide parol-making competition spearheaded by the Office of the Social Secretary led by Secretary Bianca Zobel, in cooperation with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Out of the 72 parols submitted by various provinces, South Cotabato won first place with their Dreamweaver’s Parol featuring the intricate beadwork of the Blaan tribe and the distinct textile weaving of the T’boli tribe, followed by the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Abra as second and third placers, respectively.

The Young Voices of the Philippines serenaded the event with Yuletide carols, which was attended by the First Family, Vice President Sara Duterte, Members of the Cabinet and other invited guests.

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