The Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. held its first face-to-face Christmas party after the pandemic with scholars of the Pagharap sa Pangarap Education Program on Sunday morning, December 18, 2022 at the 8th floor auditorium. There were 130 students and students' association members attending the party to celebrate the Christmas season.
For the Christmas party, the students had decorated the 8th floor auditorium two weeks in advance into a festive Christmas scene, which was a breath of fresh air. On the day of the party, a number of students who have graduated and are now working in the society, came back to their “home" to visit their younger siblings and celebrate Christmas together. The program was emceed by Paul Ediver Villa and Joie Balasbas, and started with a welcome speech from the president of the board, Mr. Stephen Sia, who sent a festive greeting to all the students and said that the fact that we are here today to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ means that all of us have survived the severe test of the epidemic.
“We also want to thank those who have supported and helped us during the difficult times. As God's children, we need to reach out with a loving heart and offer our abilities and resources to help those who are in greater need than we are, so that we can all have a safe and joyful Christmas,” said Mr. Sia. Finally, he encouraged the students to work harder in the new year to achieve better results.
At the beginning of the party, the host announced that each entertainment program was a competition. First, the students had edited creative videos according to their respective schools and presented them to the leaders at the party to express their Christmas greetings and wishes, and presented them with handmade tokens of extraordinary meaning and symbolism as souvenirs.
After that, the students prepared a variety of performances, including singing, dancing, skits, costume show and talent show. The entertainment program was interspersed with prize draws, games and quizzes. At the end of the program, Mr. Samuel Lee Uy, the Executive Vice President, gave a speech of appreciation. He praised the students for their unique performances, which fully demonstrated their creativity and talents.
After the morning's “activities", a sumptuous Christmas lunch buffet was prepared with roast suckling pig, Filipino snacks donated by the Alumni Association members and Aice ice cream donated by our colleagues for the after-dinner dessert. Before the meeting, each participant also received gifts donated by our leaders, including costumes, gifts, food packs, calendars, stationery, cash envelopes, etc. All the participants came home with a lot of money.
In addition to sponsoring the full cost of tuition and miscellaneous fees, CFBCI also subsidize daily transportation, books, school supplies, meals and uniforms, and hold regular training seminars for the students in order to help them develop physically and mentally.
菲華工商總會訊：本會於十二月十八日（星期日）上午，假八樓禮堂。為「點亮未來」教育方案的受助學生們舉辦疫情緩解後的第一個聖誕聯歡會。當天出席的領導有：理事長謝國萬，執行副理事長黃書瑋，副理事長曾國強、楊良田、蔡金東，常務顧問曾煥眉、李柏林，理事張其安、留牡丹、謝榮全，同仁楊錦程、楊佳玲，共一百三十位學員及學友會成員出席參加，一起慶祝聖誕佳節。
為了這次的聖誕聯歡會，學員們提前兩週把原本肅穆的八樓禮堂，精心佈置成一片喜氣洋洋的聖誕景象，讓人煥然一新。聯歡會當天，多位已經畢業，目前正投身社會工作的學友會成員，聯袂回到「娘家」探望學弟學妹們，並共慶聖誕。節目由Paul Ediver Villa和Joie Balasbas擔任司儀，首先由理事長謝國萬致歡迎詞，他向全體學員送上節日的問候，並表示今天我們能在這裡慶祝耶穌基督的誕生，代表著我們所有人都挺過了疫情嚴峻的考驗，我們是幸運的，未來一定會更美好。我們也要感謝那些在困難時，一路支持及幫助過我們的人，作為神的兒女，我們要用一顆博愛的心，伸出援手，獻出我們的能力和資源，幫助那些比我們有需要的同胞，讓大家都能擁有一個平安喜樂的聖誕節。最後他鼓勵受助生們於新的一年要加倍努力，爭取更好的成績。接下來副理事長曾國強和受助生學會會長Patricia Anne Deinla分別致詞祝賀。
聯歡會開始，主持人宣佈當天的每一個娛樂節目都是一個比賽，首先「點亮未來」受助學生們根據他們各自的學校，分組剪輯了富有創意的視頻，在聯歡會上呈現給本會領導，表達他們的聖誕問候及祝願，並贈送了他們手工製作，具有非凡意義和有象徵性的信物作為紀念。
接著學員們準備了包括：歌唱，舞蹈，小品，服裝走秀及選秀等精彩節目，每個人都發揮出混身解數，充分展現出自己的新穎創意，最後由本會出席領導評選出「最佳視頻獎」，「最佳表演獎」，「創意服裝獎」，「全年勤快獎」；其中有來自不同學校的九名候選人學員爭奪「2022年最佳男、女學員」冠軍頭銜，娛樂節目穿插抽奬、遊戲和機智問答等有獎項目，整個聯歡會高潮迭起，歡聲笑語，愉快的氣氛充斥著整個禮堂，出席的學員人人皆拿到紅包。
節目最後，由執行副理事長黃書瑋致謝詞，他讚揚了受助生們別開生面的節目表演，充分展示了各自的創意和才華，接著他向學員和學友們提出了一個假設性的問題練習，以提高受助生們對投資的認知，來挑戰與會者的批判性思維和決策能力。
在經過一早上的「活動」之後，本會準備了豐盛的自助聖誕午餐，不但有烤乳豬，還有學友會成員捐贈的菲式點心及本會同仁捐贈的Aice冰淇淋做餐後甜點。在散會之前，每位學員還收到了由本會領導同仁捐贈的禮物，包括：服裝，禮品，食品禮包，日曆，文具，現金紅包等，讓參加聯歡會的每一名學員都滿載而歸。
本會「點亮未來」教育方案的推行，除了贊助全額學雜費外，同時給予每日交通費和書本學習用品、餐費及校服補貼，還為他們定期舉辦修養講座，以期讓他們身心全方位發展。
圖片說明：
上小圖：（左起）謝國萬，曾國強，黃書瑋，Patricia Anne Deinla，Paul Ediver Villa，Joie Balasbas致詞主持之影。
中一圖：向本會領導致贈信物作為紀念。
中二圖：同學們表演節目及遊戲。
中三圖：（左）謝國萬向幸運得獎者頒獎合影。（右）學員們滿載而歸。
下圖：聯歡會出席者合影。
