ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Pamaskong Handog': DepEd, public schools join nationwide rollout of PBBM-led gift-giving initiative

'Pamaskong Handog': DepEd, public schools join nationwide rollout of PBBM-led gift-giving initiative

Published Dec 6, 2025 08:58 pm
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara joins President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya Pamaskong Handog Year 4 in Malacañang, while public schools nationwide hold simultaneous celebrations for thousands of learners. (DepEd photo)
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara joins President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya Pamaskong Handog Year 4 in Malacañang, while public schools nationwide hold simultaneous celebrations for thousands of learners. (DepEd photo)
The Department of Education (DepEd), led by Secretary Sonny Angara, actively participated in the nationwide rollout of the Balik Sigla, Bigay Saya Pamaskong Handog ng Presidente Year 4, a Christmas gift-giving initiative spearheaded by the Office of the President.
The main program, held at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang, was attended by President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos on Saturday, December 6. It featured performances, games, and the distribution of gift packs to underprivileged learners.
At the same time, select public schools across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao hosted celebrations supervised by DepEd regional and division offices.
“In the end, ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko ay pagkalinga (the true essence of Christmas is caring),” Angara said.
“At kung kaya nating dalhin ang saya at pag-asa sa bawat paaralan, mas malapit tayo sa layunin na ang bawat batang Pilipino ay makapag-aral, makatapos, at magkaroon ng mas magandang bukas (And if we can bring joy and hope to every school, we move closer to the goal that every Filipino child can study, graduate, and have a brighter future),” he added.
Angara also highlighted DepEd’s role in ensuring that the spirit of Christmas reached every student.
“Bawat batang Pilipino ay may karapatang maramdaman ang diwa ng Pasko at ang pag-asa na dala nito (Every Filipino child has the right to feel the spirit of Christmas and the hope it brings),” he said.
“While we continue programs such as feeding, tutorials, and providing connectivity to remote schools, it is equally important to show our learners that the government cares and supports them. Today’s simple gift reminds them they are not alone in their learning journey,” Angara added.
Each participating school accommodated around 140 learners for a morning of festive activities coordinated by DepEd field offices. The program also included the distribution of Starlink satellite devices to select schools, reinforcing the government’s digital empowerment initiatives.
The event, livestreamed to thousands of students nationwide, allowed learners from distant communities to join the festivities in real time.
This year’s Pamaskong Handog marks the continued commitment of the Palace and DepEd to support underprivileged children during the holiday season, fostering joy, community, and compassion across the country’s public schools. 

Related Tags

DepEd Pamaskong Handog 2025 public schools Sonny Angara Christmas gift-giving initiative Malacañang PBBM
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.