Paskong Saya Handog ng MPTS: A Project worth telling, An event worth Volunteering
“It isn’t how much we give, but how much LOVE we put into giving…”
It’s already way past 5:30pm, and almost all my friends are busy sharing their Friday night hangout parties over FB and IG Stories. But me, I chose to stay in the office, packing toys and chocolates to be given away to kids of our host community for our gift giving project the next day. If I’m going to post this over my social media accounts, would I get comments like “Wow, ang sipag naman, OA magwork!”, or “Ikaw na model employee!”. Or will I be getting messages of support like “Can I help packing the gifts?”, “Can I donate some items?”, or “I want to volunteer. How can I join?”. I bet MPTS employees would say the latter.
For almost five months of staying in this company, I’ve seen how employees extend their time and effort in showing support to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Projects of the company – whether it’s for the Environment or for our Host Communities, many of our colleagues don’t hesitate to join whenever the Community Relations (ComRel) team send out their invites.
In the spirit of Holiday Season, MPTS, headed by CSM’s Community Relations Team and the volunteer group VEST (Volunteer Employees of South Tollways) organized a gift giving project for one of the host communities of CALAEX – Barangay Sto. Domingo, Santa Rosa, Laguna. With more than a hundred kids to cater to, ComRel knew they need additional hands to make their plan into a reality.
From soliciting donations may it be in form of toys, clothes, school supplies and food, to painstakingly wrapping each toy with gift wrappers, and on-ground preparation for the event – each VEST Volunteer poured his/her heart out to whatever task assigned to him/her. Each one contributed their time and effort to ensure that Christmas will be felt early by the kids of Sto. Domingo.
As the kids received and unwrapped the presents, the smiles on their faces is more than enough to pay us for a hard day’s work. The kids shouting, “Thank you” and “Merry Christmas” is more than enough to fill our energy and forget how sleepy are we because of the early call time. And the kids giving you salute and high fives are just enough validation that we did a great job that day.
Paskong Saya Handog ng MPT South is a bayanihan project, and not just an event of a sole organization. From the Barangay officials, LGU of Santa Rosa, PNP Special Action Force, and Corporate partners such as Easytrip and DMCI, each group devoted an enormous amount of support to MPTS to make this gift giving project possible.
So, the next time you ask CSM’s ComRel to organize a gift giving project for 200 kids or more, I’m sure they’ll be up for it, because I know VEST got their back. And as for me, I’m definitely up for more. It doesn’t matter how many Friday night or weekend hangouts I missed, if it is for the good and welfare of the community, I will be of service to the ones in need – and for me, that’s the true sense of Volunteerism.
Mhanny S. Agusto
