THIS YEAR’S Loyola Schools (LS) Christmas Parks has been confined to Bellarmine field in response to the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Yolanda, according to a memo by University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ released on November 21.

Entitled “Hope and compassion amid the ruins,” this year’s LS Christmas Parks features parols made out of recycled and indigenous materials, which were displayed in the field starting December 5.

The parols were crafted by the following units: Ateneo Grade School, Ateneo Junior High School, Ateneo High School, the four Loyola Schools, LS Administration, Central Administration, University Dormitory, Ateneo Law School, Ateneo Graduate School of Business, Ateneo School of Government, Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, Manila Observatory, East Asian Pastoral Institute, Ateneo Institute of Sustainability, Jesuit Communications, Ateneo Alumni Association and Ateneo Alumni Scholars Association.

Last year, numerous life-sized belens were stationed in different parts of the campus. However, the LS Christmas Parks budget was scaled down this year so that the residual funds could be redirected to the Ateneo Disaster Response and Management (Dream) Team’s relief and rebuilding efforts for those affected by the typhoon.

Assistant to the Vice President for Administration Nico Maniquis added that aside from its reduced fund, this year’s LS Christmas Parks did not have a special program that accompanied its launch. Previously, the launch of the park included a lighting ceremony, a Christmas concert and an opening speech from Villarin.

The memo said that the funding of other Christmas activities in the Ateneo, including the alumni homecoming, faculty and staff Christmas parties and gift-giving activities for the Ateneo benefactors were reduced to provide relief to the calamity victims as well.

Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the Visayan region on November 6 and lasted until November 9. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that casualties reached more than 5,000 and the total damage cost amounted to nearly P25 million.

Objective of the Christmas Parks

In a statement released on November 22, Vice President for Administration Nemesio Que, SJ wrote that one of the objectives of the LS Christmas Parks this year is “showing solidarity with our countrymen” through the scaling down of the park.

“This [simplification of the Ateneo Christmas tradition] should be bringing us together,” Villarin said in an interview with The GUIDON.

He also urged the community to see the “things that really matter” during the Christmas season. “The challenge is how the celebration can touch the lives of the Filipino people in lieu [of] what has happened,” he said.

Maniquis said, “[The simplification of the park is] just a more reflective way of appreciating the blessings that we have and the gifts that we can share,” he said.

Maniquis added that the scaling down of the park also gave members of the Ateneo community an opportunity to allocate resources for the rehabilitation and recovery of the Yolanda victims.

In his memo, Que said that he is hopeful that by continuing the university’s Christmas tradition in the coming years, the Ateneo will continue to deepen its sense of celebration and community, not only within the school but with the rest of the nation as well.

Hope amidst calamities                 

Several other administrators and a Dream Team officer expressed their opinions with regard to the scaling down of the Ateneo’s Christmas celebration.

Office of the VP Coordinator for Communications-Publications Joanna Ruiz shared that the move to scale down was appropriate given the disasters that have taken place in the country in the past months.

“At this time of year, we have quite a lot of work to do so it helps that we will have less to worry about, at least in terms of the [building of the LS] Christmas Parks,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dream Team Student Arm Head Joseph Barcelon said that the recent tragedies should promote a better sense of bayanihan or nationalism among Filipinos.

“Relief efforts will end soon and the challenge of rehabilitation and recovery will be the next one [we] will be facing,” Barcelon said.

He added, however, that extending help to the calamity victims should not be limited to within the Christmas season only.

“Just as what we showed during the relief operations, it is about giving yourself to others without counting the cost,” he said.

With reports by Bianca N. Martinez