Gift-giving 101 this Christmas

Almost all of us are now drawing up a list of family and friends that we need to give gifts this Christmas. I have drawn up a list that readers may find useful especially these days when rehabilitation is ongoing in provinces hard-hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

Of course, there are other considerations, primary of which is our need to pay more attention to the health of the global environment as well as ourselves. My list will delve on the general rule, although I have singled out some specific items to illustrate the point.

Do donate

According to new estimates, the damage wrought by Haiyan (or Yolanda) in the Philippines is easily over P600 billion, making it one of the worst disasters in our history ever. And the period of rehabilitation could very well drag to more than 12 months.

There are now over 4,000 deaths counted, and tens of thousands displaced who will need a lot of help to get back on their feet. Children, of course, are the most vulnerable with jobs of their elders affected; food, medication and shelter are their primary needs.

There are a number of credible organizations that are in the midst of relief and restoration activities in the worst affected localities in the Visayas. One of these is the Philippine Red Cross, which has affiliations with the global Red Cross movement.

The beauty of donating to PRC is its extensive response capability that can go beyond relief work. They have this early livelihood training program that puts communities back onto their feet, which will be needed shortly when the worst of the crisis is over.

Another organization that is worth considering is the World Food Program, an organization that is affiliated with the United Nations and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The UNICEF is also active in providing support for Haiyan victims. The donation system set up by these organizations is relatively simple and safe.

And don’t forget to send the donation receipt to the person in your Christmas list.

Do be environment-conscious

For those who feel compelled to give something other than a donation receipt, now is the time to reexamine our fundamental belief in helping protect the environment.

For many of us, giving new clothes is one of the simplest things to do. But if you really think about it, new clothes are the least of our priorities. Every so often, we give away clothes that we’ve used to make way for new ones. Actually, most of us have too many clothing items and accessories in our closets that we don’t need.

Same goes for toys and electronic gadgets. These consumer goods have a limited lifecycle and end up in dumps that clog or poison our landfill sites. A basic question, therefore, when thinking of what to give would be: is this environmentally helpful?

The safest gifts this Christmas, therefore, would be food. And if you can encase these goodies in a reusable container (cloth bag, crock or jar), that’s one more point for Mother Earth.

Do keep healthy

And since we’ve focused on food, it would be prudent to be on the health side. Processed foods are now subject to a lot of debates because of the amount of preservatives that are added to them to make them last longer.

The same goes from food with lots of sugar or high in cholesterol. Diabetes and heart problems have become some of the more “famous” killer diseases of our times, and yet ironically, these are preventable by following a more healthy diet.

If liquor is in the gift list, it’s safer to give red wines. Or for those who can afford, brandy and cognac are suggested even by doctors, of course as long as these are taken in moderation.

Organic foods are now the rage, and while these are priced higher than those grown on the fattening farms, they convey the wish for health and long life much better, especially since these organic products (like whole wheat biscuits) are not as tasty as Krispy Kremes.

Do keep within budget

The last advice would be to spend thriftily. Too often, the consumer world lures us to spend much more than we should, considering the many pressing needs of those less fortunate than us, and other more productive uses of our hard-earned money.

It’s always never too late to plan for the future, either by setting aside money as investment in safe havens that we can rely on for future needs, i.e., a house and lot, education, retirement, or a new business.

Setting up a small sustainable business is, of course, the most commendable. The downstream effect of this is almost unquantifiable in terms of jobs generated, productive use of money as compared to just having it sit in the bank, and overall economic productivity.

There are a number of organizations now that focus on small and medium enterprise development that have strong links with the poor. One of them, GK Productivity (by Gawad Kalinga) is a good organization to link up.

Finally, and this is not to sound like a cheapskate, the best gift that you could possibly give is your pure heart – a sincere wish for love, hope, forgiveness and grace.

Champions League 2013 National Collegiate Championship

The race for the final four slot reserved for the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket winner starts on Nov. 25, 2013 at Tanauan, Batangas. The winner will join DLSU Green Archers, San Beda College Red Lions and the overall southern islands champion.

Competing for this lone seat are the UST Growling Tigers, FEU Tamaraws and NU Bulldogs from UAAP; the Letran Knights, SSC-R Golden Stags and University of Perpetual Help Altas from NCAA; and the North-Central Luzon champion Lyceum of Subic, South Luzon-Bicol champion University of Batangas Brahmans and the two winners of the ongoing Metro Manila qualifying games.

Visit the PCCL website (CollegiateChampionsLeague.net) for more details/information on the National Collegiate Championship and like our official Facebook fan page (Philippine College Champions League) and Follow us on Twitter (@pccleague2013).

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.