Christmas “is really for the children” even as his young administration “has made and done everything to ensure every Filipino child” has a reason to celebrate, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday.
The Chief Executive said this as he led the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang to officially start the Yuletide season celebration for the country.
During his speech at the Palace, Mr. Marcos said it was the first time under the pandemic that Filipinos could really celebrate Christmas like only they could, as last year’s revelry was still laden with strict COVID-19 restrictions.
“It’s been three years that we haven’t had a Christmas celebration like how we do it here in the country, because it is very different, how we celebrate Christmas here in the Philippines,” he said, noting that the children present at the tree lighting were the “real guests of honor.”
“I always have believed that Christmas is really for the children, and so we have made, done everything that we can to make sure that every child, every Filipino child has a Christmas,” the President said.
“And that is something that I think is a good goal for us this Christmas since we have been blessed, all of us, despite all of the challenges we have faced, here we are, we have all been blessed,” he added.
A fireworks display that lasted for about 5 minutes concluded the lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree, which is filled with locally-made parol that joined the “Isang Bituin, Isang Mithiin” lantern-making competition.
Among those who attended the event were Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, former first lady Imelda Marcos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Some members of the Marcos Cabinet also attended, along with the families of the staff working under the Office of the President (OP).