Deadline is today

Here’s a gentle reminder to all our readers. Today is the deadline to submit entries for our annual Christmas contest where we’ll give away P100,000 in cold cash and lots of other prizes to at least 10 winners. You’ve got until 5 p.m. to turn in your entries at The Philippine Star lobby.  We’ll announce the winners in this column tomorrow. Prizes will be distributed to the winners at The Philippine Star office on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 11 a.m.

More and more prizes are pouring in as this afternoon’s deadline approaches. We expect to raise even more prizes from now until D-Day or Distribution Day. As it is, we’ve got a load of prizes now in stock. But we’re still open for donations. For sure, it’ll be a very happy Christmas for our winners.

Six donors contributed to raise P100,000 – P50,000 of which will go to the first prize winner. The donors are the Philippine Sports Commission through chairman Richie Garcia (P50,000), The Herma Group through CEO Hermie Esguerra (P15,000), Globalport through PBA vice chairman Erick Arejola for CEO Mikee Romero (P15,000), the Philippine Olympic Committee through first vice president Joey Romasanta for president Jose Cojuangco Jr. (P10,000), the ALA Boxing Group through CEO Tony Aldeguer (P5,000) and GAB chairman Monju Guanzon (P5,000).

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Prizes in kind include from Alaska through Aces team manager Dickie Bachmann (five Alaska caps, five Alaska magazines, two Alaska Aces jerseys and 10 Alaska Aces T-shirts), the ALA Boxing Group (six ALA Boxing signature T-shirts, one ALA Boxing gym bag, one ALA Boxing jacket, 10 Island Souvenirs T-shirts and 10 Island Souvenirs keychains), Sonia Trading through CEO Anil Buxani (six Mikasa volleyballs, six Molten basketballs, four Gosen badminton rackets), Gatorade through vice president Tony Atayde (two cases of low-carb Gatorade, 25 trucker caps, 25 squeeze bottles), Ever Bilena through CEO Dioceldo Sy (assorted Blackwater and Ever Bilena products for men and women), the MVP Group through Executive Assistant to the Chairman Abet Dungo (one PLDT jacket, one PLDT sports bag, one PLDT trolley bag, one American Home rice cooker from Meralco, five Meralco bags, one Meralco cabinet bag, three stuffed toys from Maynilad, one Metro Pacific umbrella, one Metro Pacific T-shirt, one Metro Pacific body bag and two Metro Pacific Bluetooth speakers), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel through PBA governor Alfrancis Chua (two boxes Primera Light, two boxes Ginebra San Miguel Blue, 10 Ginebra T-shirts) and San Miguel Beer through PBA chairman Robert Non (five cases of San Mig Light).

Prizes are also coming from NLEX through Allan Gregorio for president Rod Franco (Easy Trip automated passes, Road Warriors merchandise, NLEX calendars), Maynilad and MVP Sports Foundation through Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, SBP through executive director Sonny Barrios, Purefoods through PBA governor Rene Pardo, PBA, San Miguel Corp., One Of A Kind Marketing, Green Bulb, Larc and Asset, Nike and many more.

It’s not too late to join but you’ve got to hurry because the deadline is 5 this afternoon. To enter the contest, simply answer these three questions: 1. Who is the tallest player in the PBA Philippine Cup this season? 2. Which schools won the senior men’s basketball championships in the UAAP, NCAA and CESAFI this year? 3. Who is the first Filipino athlete to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics?

Place your answers on a slip of paper and in at least three sentences, write why you read the sports section of The Philippine Star and what you would like to happen in Philippine sports in 2016. There is no limit to your wish list. Let your imagination run wild. You could include Manny Pacquiao beating Floyd Mayweather in a rematch. You could include the Gilas team qualifying for the Rio Olympics. The more creative, the better.

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We’ll choose at least 10 winners with the correct answers to the three questions and the most insightful response as to why you read the sports section of The Philippine Star and what you would like to happen in Philippine sports in 2016. As usual, we’ll publish the best essays in this column.

Don’t forget to write your name, age, occupation (if student, what course, year, school), home address and telephone number on the slip of paper. Attach a clipping of the masthead of the front page of The Philippine Star newspaper showing the date. We will not accept Xerox entries. Only originals of mastheads will be allowed. No need to use an envelope. Just clip the masthead with the slip of paper showing your answers, essay and contact details. One masthead, one entry. Multiple entries are accepted but each must be accompanied by one masthead.

You may deposit your entries straight into our box at The Philippine Star lobby or mail to The Philippine Star address. The difficulty of mailing is the entry must reach The Philippine Star by 5 this afternoon, our cut-off time.

Amazing prizes await you for a happy Christmas. If you don’t join, you won’t win. This is our chance to share blessings with our readers and your chance to take home wonderful prizes for the holiday season. Don’t delay. Send in your entries now.