BANGUED, Abra -- The adage that "no one is too poor that one cannot share anything, and even the rich are just as happy to receive a present" is truly applicable in celebration of Christmas.
In Abra, various groups and individuals as well as institutions have their own way of reaching out to their fellow Abreñeans.
The Abra Cadua (AC), chaired by Robert Formoso, a group of Abreñeans here and abroad who have formed friendships through the social media particularly through the Facebook , went to Tineg on December 19 with their wool blankets that symbolize their special care to the less privileged.
This is now their fifth year of doing outreach project through gift-giving on Christmas and during school openings and conducting dental missions with free medicines.
The Annak ti Abra in Canada founded by Buenavic Bersalona also came back for their gift-giving. This year, they donated books and various library materials to the Nursing Department pf the Abra Valley Colleges. They also distributed wheelchairs and medicine to the Abra Provincial and District Hospitals.
This year’s special project of the Annak ti Abra in Canada is the scholarship grants to students under the Technical Education Skills Development Authority where 25 students from various municipalities are given free tuition, tools and even initial food stuff.
In the past years, the organization had been conducting medical-dental-optical mission with free medicines to the parishioners of Bangued.
This year marked a different way and expanded Christmas gift-giving with the Abra Schools Division Office headed by Superintendent Ronald Castillo and the Abra Provincial Police Office headed by Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum reaching out to the indigent school children in more depressed areas.
Mayor Corinthia Crisologo and the LGU staff also reached out to all the barangays in their municipality to bring good tidings and make their people feel they care so much for them.
Likewise, a group of friends from Hong Kong led by Maria Aurora Bisquera gave t-shits to the almost 180 inmates of the Abra Provincial Jail. Her group wants to make the inmates realize there is hope for change and reconciliation if only they repent and seriously think of their future as well as their families. (Maria Teresa Beñas/PIA–CAR)