On the spot

CEBU, Philippines - Scenes at the MGB Social Hall of the Star Building last November 11 remind me of a line from my maternal grandma: “Beautiful hands are those that do.”

I would say that during the four-hour span of The FREEMAN on-the-spot lantern making contest (elementary division, afternoon session), I saw how beautiful are the hands that upcycle materials about to be thrown away, or disposed of, or discarded. In Filipino parlance, we call it “patapon.”

However, in the hands of creative and imaginative children, the shells of green mussels, clams, scallops; starfish, and other varieties of seashells were not only recycled. The materials served an even better purpose. These were transformed into a symbol of Christmas — the lantern!

Determined to unleash creativity, over 90 pupils from 32 grade schools – both public and private – competed in the 4th staging of the “Light a Star” contest. Some of the ideas presented were even out of the box because there were a few coaches who deviated from the traditional star frame. St. Theresa’s College, for example, came up with a Nativity Scene crafted on cardboard, while Casili Elementary School presented a hanging manger concept, resembling that of a bird cage.

As for Sacred Heart School-Hijas de Jesus, they had the privilege of using escargot shells collected from a specialty restaurant where the husband of their coach works.

Pressured at the sound of the timer, kids had to be constantly reminded by their coaches that the “real game plan is to focus on their work and to just enjoy the moment.”

Agus Elementary School had to dust off the jitters as they head to defend their title being last year’s champ. Their “star of the sea” concept which utilized kilos of sand grains splashed all over a circular frame showed how daunting the task was. Nevertheless, they also had to jump out of the box to literally draw with sand how - for the longest time - they have this interaction and interconnection with the sea — the very sea that has shaped their coastal community.