MANILA, Philippines — Austerity and simplicity are the buzzwords for this pandemic Christmas. Family reunions, company parties, caroling, mall shopping and exchange gift traditions are on hold.
So what’s left? Simple acts of kindness, such as sending Christmas greetings on Facebook, calling someone "celebrating" on his own, praying for others, etc.
For Museo Pambata, it means creating a parol to cheer up an adopted family’s Noche Buena.
Museo president Bambi Manosa-Tanjutco just launched the Star of Hope project, which taps the Filipinos' bayanihan spirit and creativity.
The Star of Hope is a do-it-yourself parol which the Museo Pambata sells at P1,000 each.
Because Museo Pambata is an interactive museum which gives children an alternative to formal classroom learning, Star of Hope taps kids and strengthens their bond with their parents and guardians.
The little ones dress up their own Star of Hope – adding touches of glitter here, bursts of color there and everything their imagination tells them to do.
Pilar, Pepi and Rocio de Guzman, grandchildren of Museo Pambata chairperson Nina Lim Yuson started the ball rolling. They came up with colorful parols shimmering with sequins that “can make people happy.”
Their inspiration came from their Lola Nina’s collection of star-studded belens and parols, of course.
“I would like to imagine that while a parent is helping a child decorate his parol, the parent can talk to her child about the project. Because they bought one Star of Hope kit, another child, a less fortunate one received another parol and is making hers too,” said Tanjutco.
She added that the parent can turn the parol-making session into way of promoting good values to the child. Mom or dad can ask the child what he hopes for, not just for himself, but for others his age, in the new normal.
Since each Star of Hope purchase entitles one of Museo Pambata’s 500 adopted kids to a parol kit and a Noche Buena basket, the parent can discuss the Noche Buena tradition to his offspring.
The adopted children come from four communities Manila Mayor Isko Moreno asked Museo to look after. They were chosen by barangay officials.
Museo has been closed since March because of the pandemic. Star of Hope is its way of reaching out to children affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Parol makers are encouraged to take a photo of themselves and post it on their FB or IG page to inspire others to “light” a Star of Hope.