Live in the Philippines

Live in the Philippines helps expats with visas, moving and other services regarding the Philippines.

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Holidays / by

It has already been written a number of times on LiP this year, it’s Christmas time all over the world, and what a wondful season that we can all enjoy our families, and the special things in our lives.  It really is a magical time of the year, and a time that personally treasure a lot myself.

When we first moved to the Philippines, I had a hard time really getting into the Christmas Spirit.  A number of things caused me to not really feel too “Christmasy” – among them, the warm weather which is not what I was used to for Christmas.  About 6 years ago, on December 24, I told Feyma that I really longed for that feeling of Christmas spirit, and wanted to do something to bring it back.  On that day, we decided to put together some small bags of food and distribute these bags to poor Filipinos, to kind of share what we had with others who had much less.

That day, we purchased about 100 hamburgers, juice, candy for the kids, and other such items, and we went around Davao giving these bags to homeless people.  It really brought a lot of joy to my heart.  It made me feel that indeed it was Christmas again, and it even turned out to be one of the most joyful Christmases that I had ever experienced.  Now, every year we do this.  It is something that also grows each year for us.  We distribute to more people, we add more items to the bags, etc.  In the past few years we have come up with two different types of gift bags too.  For adults, we give basic grocery items that they can use to prepare a Christmas meal.  We have included things like coffee, sugar, cooking oil, corned beef, rice and other such items.  For the children, we give them small toys, snacks, candy and such.

Another thing we have done is to change to new locations.  We have gone to Bukidnon to give these items, down to Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur and to many other locations.  Each year is a differnet place.  I cannot describe the amount of joy that we get from this.

This year, I want to make this a much bigger thing, and give away to a LOT more pople.  I want to ask you, our loyal LiP readers if you would be willing to make a donation toward the giveaway this year?  It doesn’t matter if your donation is large or small.  Even if you an only afford to give $5 or so, that would go a long way toward giving some people who have nothing a very joyful day at least one time.  One person, totally unsolicited, recently wrote to us and offered to give us $100 toward this, and we gladly accepted.  If anybody can give that amount as well, what a great thing we could do for the poor people here in our area!  Imagine, if 20 LiP readers could give $100 each, we could give $2,000 worth of goods to these poor people!  What an impact that would have!  Of course, our own personal donation would add to that amount too!

One thing we want to do this year, if there are enough people who can add to the money that we will give ourselves, is to add a chicken to each of the gifts to families, so that these poor people will have a nice meal with a Christmas chicken for their family too.

If you can donate, I am providing two different ways to make your contribution.  First, I have placed a Paypal button at the bottom of this column.  You can click on that, and enter the amount that you want to donate for the cause.  Secondly, we can accept money through Western Union.

For Western Union payments, please send the amount to:

Robert Martin
4 Ruby Street
Marfori Heights Subdivision
Davao City 8000
Philippines

If you send Western Union, please e-mail me with the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) which is required for us to claim the payment.

Let me say – there is no obligation for anybody to donate, and I won’t feel badly toward people who don’t make a donation.  That is not what this is all about.  I just want to offer you all the chance to experience the joy that I have gotten from helping these people who need our help so much.

As an incentive, for any donations of $50 or more, I will choose the top 3 donations, and I will give you a free electronic copy of my book, 49 Ways to Earn a Living in the Philippines.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Bob: I'll try to paypal once my flight arrives tonight. I'll let you know if I have problems again!

  9. Count me in Bob via Paypal. Although I am one who prefers to give soemthing which can give back, such as education or something to form some sort of foundation to grow on i know thatb takes a longer investment but I honestly usually shy away form short term contributons only because I feel it only alleviates the issue for a day or 2. Perhaps you could put a link on the sidebar for those who wish to contribute to a college education of a individual whom you feel would put it to good use?!
    Dont get me wrong Bob / Feyma..your good hearted couple to do what you do
    and i admire that !

  10. Hi Bob; I wonder if Brian can see the return is instantaneous? I do get his point, but what you are talking about is saving Christmas, not the world!
    I'm having to be kuripot at present due to having no income and lttle savings; I hope to have enough left to emulate your effort!

  12. Hi brian- Thank you very much, Brian. I received the paypal transfer. You know, I have thought about doing a college fund too, but there are a couple of things holding me back. First, I don't like to ask for money all the time, and secondly, the few times that I have asked in the past, response has been low, so it is my feeling that most readers don't like it. Maybe we'll see how this Christmas give-away goes and then decide. 😆

    Thank you again for your generosity, Brian.

  13. Hi Chris- I hope that you also get to enjoy an activity like this. Frankly, I think I do it more for myself than the people who get the stuff… it really brings me a lot of joy.

  14. Hi Bob, thanks a lot for doing this. Mia and I are doing this in a very small way with some of our local workers and neighbors, I really should get myself organized and do a lot, lot more. We are so blessed and have so much.

    I threw some in the pot, interested in seeing those chickens go in the pot onm Christmas 😉

  17. Hi Bob – I think you're the kind and generous man.

    Have you ever gone to Samal with gifts? If not, I hope you will consider that in the future.

  18. Hi Randy C- You know, it's funny, because after I got your contribution, it struck me that we really should do Samal this year. We have not decided on a destination yet, so I'll bring this up with Feyma and see what she thinks. It sure sounds like a great idea.

    Thank you, Randy.

  19. Kamusta Bob,

    Count me in, it won't be much, around a 1000 peso's, wish it could be more, but I will Western Union it this week..and then send email..with confirmation number.
    This is a great thing you are doing, and the smiles on those little faces are priceless.

    Merry Christmas to all there, and a Happy New Year,
    Danny Huseman

  20. Hi Bob, I have made a donation but you can forget me for your bonus of the E-book… as i already have it 🙂

    Hope you can add some pics to the site afterwards… or maybe even a video.

    Cheers

  21. Hi Danny- Don't think that "it won't be much" – any amount helps. So far, that amount is what most people contribute, and it is much appreciated!

    Thank you, Danny. This is a tough year for many of us, and I am glad that as a team here we can help make a few people's lives a little better. And, for a small amount we can do that! 🙂

  22. Hi gerry- You are a kind and generous man! We appreciate your offering, and I know that a lot of others will too!

    Don't worry, I will indeed be putting up photos, and hopefully a video too!

  24. Hi Henry- Sure, I can do that. I haven't used them for a long, long time, but I did some years ago. Is there anything I need to do to set that up?

  25. Hi Bob,
    I don't think it's anything different than Western Union in your receiving. Other than you having to present proper identification along with the Control Number and Secret Word I determine.

  26. Hi Henry- Sounds good, Henry. I assume that I will be told where to pick it up? I see WU signs all over the City, but never saw a Xoom sign!

  28. Hi Bob,
    There are 42 locations within Davao for Xoom transactions. They include: Equitable PC (EPCI)
    Banco de Oro
    BDO Financial (BDO On-site)
    SM Forex (Shoemart)
    Cebuana Lhuiller
    One Network Bank
    I just need to find a location convenient for you.

  30. My GF picks up money at BDO when I send with Xoom. She tells me it is a very slow process though like more than an hour. 🙁

    There are also other banks you can pick up at. You can also pick up at Cebuna Lhuillier and SM. I see there are a total of 42 locations where you can pick up in Davao.

  31. Hi Ray,
    Yes, Xoom was very slow initally, but seemed ok after the first run through.

    Bob,
    I'm checking for your email. I hope the SPAM gremlins are working overtime. 🙂
    Just in case, I sent you a private email, too.

  33. Hi Henry- I will send you an e-mail to your GMail. I am checking on who has ID for our right address so that I don't have to go wait for the transfer! 😆

  34. Hi Henry

    What is slow is BDO in giving her the money. She says she has to wait her turn and then she will show her ID and they will look in the computer and then they will tell her to go sit down and wait again.

  35. Hi Bob

    Half day? Thats fast 😀

    Someone said they went to one Lhuillier and were told they would have to wait days because that branch was not online.

  36. Hi Ray,
    I guess it's good for my girlfriend having a contact person who works for the remittance center in Mangagoy. She never has to wait long, unless there's a line of people (or computer problems).

    Hi Bob,
    I received your email at my Gmail address.

  37. Hi Bob,
    I guess it's best to use our friends at Paypal, eh? Please check for receipt of my donation. May it make someone happy this holiday season!

  38. Hi Bob,
    I'm happy to be part of spreading a little joy to someone. Yes, that was my company name and address, sorry for the slight confusion.

  39. Bob,

    Funny you wrote this article. I just started plans for a donation/charity event in Bohol. Once I get a little more info and get the whole thing started I will let you all know. I'm sure you will be putting a lot of smiles on faces this year.

    Times are a bit tight for us right now. But, you can pencil Rochelle and Mike K. in for around P 2,000.

  40. Hi Bob!

    Please expect a contribution from Marie and I via Paypal. Let us know if there is any trouble as I have the reciept. I've noticed the dollar was down a bit so I hope you recieve this before it goes down too much. We are very happy to contribute to you mission of no strings attached human kindness. I know that you and your family will enjoy the Christmas season because you will have the privlege of bringing happiness to many. Thank you for doing this great service.

    Your Friends Tom and Marie

  41. Hi Bob!

    I hope you will keep us informed on the details of the Christmas giving. I admit that I am one of those weird guys that doesn't like to recieve gifts but delights in giving. Maybe this is a penance for teasing Rusty. Ha HA!

  42. I will be helping to feed the homeless this year in Dallas, I'm not with my family and it is really uplifting – it is just a small effort on my part really since I'm joining a very organized group. It's really great what you're doing…

  43. hello Bob,

    life is a constant struggle as i remember those days growing up in manila without food on the table and never ending civil unrest due to differences in politics and religions, which leads to massive corruption and the people suffer. everybody should have a wonderful christmas and pls. accept my contribution through paypal. keep up the good work and happy holidays to all.

    -expat in greater puget sound

  44. Hi Bob, i will share a small contribution towards your good work. im always happy to share my blessings especially to less fortunate. will ask my sister to contact you. would you mind to email me Feymas cel number Bob and my sister will contact her.

    thanks alot and god bless

  46. Sorry Bob I'm doing Christmas around my house in talasay according to my wife , she will hand out some stuff to people in our neighborhood ..Wish I was there to help sounds like fun ..:) 🙂 .Happy Christmas and merry new year Bob to you and your family from Phil n Jess

  48. Hi Bob,

    I am very eager to donate. Can that wait till I get there on the 23rd? Or you can advance the amount of $100 and give you my share latter. I want to go with you
    during the distribution of the gifts and make photo coverage I hope I will be there
    before you start your move.

    Robert

  49. Hi, Bob!

    Christmas spirit is indeed really upon you and your family!

    I just made my donation through PayPal (you may want to verify)…It's a portion of my year-end bonus but I consider it "paying it forward" for the blessings I receive. Merry Christmas from yours truly and my family here in Laguna! 🙂

  51. Hi Bob
    I have just sent you a donation via PayPal, not much but at least it is something.

    As you know there are other donations I make to places I have been in Mindanao and for a few moments I gave it some thought to donate to your most generous gift giving or not. Yes, just a few moments. Although the video is touching and worthwhile looking at the happy faces recieving your gift, what made me make the decision to donate was to show my appreciation to you for having your informative websites. Additionally any time I had a question about visiting Mindanao, especially for the first time, you always replied promptly and all of your comments and advice proved to have a high degree of accuracy. It is primarily for these reasons it only took me a few moments to decide to at least send something. Additionally, with many " Donation Driven " programs ( you know the ones, they advertize on TV here in the states many times ) sometimes you wonder with all the so called " Administration Costs " involved what percentage of a dontation actually gets to the target of the fund raising drive. In my opinion if the name Bob Martin is on it, I have no doubt what so ever that every cent of my donation will go to the end result of the cause.

    With the climate as it is in Mindanao, I am not sure how much " Santa Clause " plays a part in Christmas there as we usually associate him with cold weather, snow, a sleigh, reindeer etc. While watching your video I had the thought, what if Bob Martin appeared in a Santa Clause suit, especially when giving things to children. I know you could not wear the suit for an extended period of time but I just wonder what kind of impact that would have on some of the younger children there ?

    Hey, I am quite a way from being a young child but can meeting someone in a suit portraying a famous or notable character have impact ? For me it did when I actually got to meet " Jollibee " at the SM City Mall in Cagayan De Oro on my recent visit. Yes, I know it might have only been a store employee with the Jollibee Suit on but for the couple of minutes I spent with him, in my mind it really was " Jollibee " and as I sang to him in Tagalog ( one of the Jollibee Songs I learned from repeated listening ) Jollibee danced to my singing. This was right in front of a crowd of Adults and Kids right there in the mall ! As being a big fan and Jollibee enthusiast, you can imagine the impact and enjoyment those two minutes had for me and in my own mind I actually met the real Jollibee.

    Give it some thought Bob, if not for this Christmas maybe for a future one, if you made some of the deliveries in a Santa Clause Suit would it have a similar impact on some of the children there ? Maybe some sleighbells on the side of your vehicle would even add more enhancement !

    With what you are doing here to those you visit with these gifts at Christmas, for those few moments with each of them, you really are Santa Clause or would that be Bob MindaClause !

  52. Hi Bob New York – Thanks for your participation in the Food drive! I am sure that many will appreciate it a lot! Hmm… MindaClause? Not bad! 😆