There's lots of fun going on in St Vicente in the lead up to Christmas....

 

..... and I am really happy to be supporting, this year, a great band of young people there called the Alimanguan San Vicente Skimmers.

I will tell you what skimmers are in a minute (and I only found out recently!) but let me share with you the programme of events they, and some other youth groups in the area, have put together.  I think it's amazing and I am gutted that I still have to work in Bahrain and cannot be there in person this year. But then again I will be there for the next 40 years, although I am not sure I will be skimming at 100 years old!

The final order of the events for the three days is at the bottom of the blog, please note they are only open to locals from that Barangay!

So whats a skimmer?

A skim board is like a small surf board that a skimmer places on the water, runs and jumps on and then skims the surface of the water.

                   One of the beautiful Skim boards donated to the skimmers

However the Alimanguan San Vicente Skimmers do not just skim! They aim to help people who are not capable to have their own every day lives, So they provide food and other things they need. The people they support are unable to work due to illness and other reasons and have no one else to support them.

The second group is the Alimanguan LGBTQ group. Their aim is to help the Senior Citizens in the area.

 

Next come Alimanguan Sagip Pawikan, whose purpose is to help the sea turtles that live in the area.

The fourth is San Vic Surf.

 

And lastly the SIKAP Youth for indigenous people

 

 

One of their recent beach clean ups, I will be joining them next year!

All these groups are made up of young people who volunteer their time and carry out activities such as beach clean ups and the Christmas programme

I described above.

 

My special thanks to Dionefel Rizo who updated me on the different groups. 

 

I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work and wish them:

  

Maligayang Pasko - Merry Christmas

Manigong Bagong Taon - Happy New Year

 

To the rest of my readers, I will be back next week with more information on my journey to becoming a Filipino!

Until then , Mahal Kita, Ingat Palagi and Kita kits!

 

       For those of you who do not speak Tagalog Bayanihan means co-  operative endeavour (according to Google translate) or Good deeds!

The final order of the events for the three days is: