Lighting up lives for Christmas

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

December 4, 2025 | 12:00am

December has rolled in and the holiday frenzy is in full swing. The festive spirit is everywhere with streets shimmering with twinkling lights, malls buzzing with shoppers hunting for bargain deals and perfect gifts and the dreaded holiday carmageddon has begun as parties and reunions crowd the calendar.

Yet beyond the festivities, this season is also a time to pause and reflect on the hardships millions of Filipinos continue to endure. The year has been marked by disasters that tested the nation’s resilience — deadly earthquakes and powerful typhoons claimed lives, displaced thousands and left homes in ruins. All the while, corruption scandals besieged us — shattering public trust, shaking global investor confidence and sowing chaos within the very institutions meant to lead and protect us.

According to the latest Social Weather Survey conducted in September this year, 50 percent or five in every 10 Filipino families consider themselves poor, while 12 percent classify themselves as borderline and only 38 percent say they are not poor. Hunger also continues to worsen with 22 percent of Filipino families experiencing involuntary hunger at least once in the past three months- higher than the 16.1 percent recorded in June 2025.

This stark reality casts a shadow over the Christmas season. It is a sobering reminder that amid the glitter of lights and holiday cheer, millions struggle to meet their most basic needs. It is more than a call for compassion — it is a call to action. And it is a call the private sector is continuing to answer, proving that meaningful change requires more than goodwill, it demands commitment and collaboration.

Across the country, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are transforming lives with initiatives that have lasting impact — from education and livelihood initiatives to environmental stewardship and disaster resilience. These efforts matter because beyond charity, they empower communities to stand on their own and become self-sufficient. They remind us that progress is a shared responsibility.

Over the weekend, Meralco, through its CSR arm, One Meralco Foundation, partnered with the Archdiocese of Lipa to illuminate church grounds with solar street lamps and distribute Noche Buena packages to indigent families in Batangas. To bring holiday cheer to the Batangas community, Meralco and OMF also lighted the façade of the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian in Lipa City with Christmas lights — a symbol of hope in these trying times.

Over 60 parishes under the care of the Archdiocese of Lipa will benefit from the solar streetlights, which will help improve safety of parishioners especially as the traditional Misa de Gallo begins. Meanwhile, around 6,000 indigent families are assured that their tables will not go empty on Christmas Eve.

With the holiday season in full swing, I hope more companies take on initiatives that empower and provide long-term benefits to Filipino communities.

CSR is no longer just charity or compliance; it is a moral obligation and a strategic lever for national development. The private sector must lead because poverty is not only a social challenge, it is also an economic barrier that stifles productivity, slows growth and limits our collective potential.

When businesses invest in education, livelihood and resilience, they are not merely giving back, they are building the foundation for sustainable progress. Simply put, doing good is good business.

Imagine the transformation if every corporation powered one community, championed one livelihood program or strengthened disaster preparedness. Moving beyond seasonal gift-giving toward long-term impact can help millions take a step closer to self-sufficiency. That is the kind of leadership and compassion this season calls for.

Because the true spirit of Christmas, and of corporate citizenship, is not measured in glitter or lavish parties, but in actions that create lasting change. Christmas spirit shines brightest through acts that bring light to those in the dark.