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The THREE GHOSTS Of CHRISTMAS - A Tale Of Hope

πŸ“… 2022-12-23⏱ 17:11
πŸ“… 2022-12-23 Β |Β  ⏱️ 17:11 Β |Β  πŸ‘οΈ 32.8K views Β |Β  πŸ‘ 4.7K likes Β |Β  πŸ’¬ 1.4K comments

Pea's annual Christmas special takes her channel to a school built for refugee families displaced by Typhoon Yolanda (Hainan), the most powerful storm ever recorded, which killed over 6,000 Filipinos in 2013. She structures the video around Dickens' three ghosts β€” Christmas Past, Present, and Future β€” as she delivers presents, food, games, and school sponsorships to an entire school of children, many of whom have never received a Christmas gift.

Pea opens by explaining that the Philippines has the longest Christmas season on Earth (September through past New Year's), but for many Filipino children, Christmas just means getting something extra to eat and spending time with family β€” no trees, no lights, no gifts ​

  • She frames her annual Christmas mission as fixing that reality "one kid at a time" and promises this year's special will be the biggest yet

The Ghost of Christmas Past β€” Typhoon Yolanda ​

  • On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Yolanda (internationally known as Hainan) hit the Philippines as the most powerful storm ever recorded on Earth
  • Over 6,000 Filipinos died and more than 1 million homes and businesses were destroyed; the city of Tacloban was virtually wiped off the map
  • Pea reveals she is a Yolanda survivor herself β€” she was there that day, saw piles of bodies, and witnessed things "no one should ever have to see"
  • The displaced families were relocated inland to a special refugee community where a small, cramped school was built for the surviving children
  • That community and school still exist today, and some current students remember the typhoon firsthand
  • Their lives have been extremely hard, and for many of them Christmas means little more than being thankful to be alive

The Ghost of Christmas Present β€” 563 gifts and a feast for 600 ​

  • Pea's team prepared 563 individual presents β€” one for every kid in the entire school β€” plus gifts for every teacher and supplies for the school itself
  • They also hired a local restaurant to prepare a meal for roughly 600 people
  • Preparations took several weeks
  • Pea arrives at the school dressed as a Santa-like figure with bags of gifts
  • She asks the children how many have never received a Christmas present before β€” a significant number raise their hands
  • Each child receives a toy, a bag of school supplies, and a sack of candy
  • Specific moments captured:
    • A girl named Diana Rose receives her very first doll (a Barbie) β€” Pea tells her to comb its hair and sleep next to it at night
    • A 10-year-old girl named Yanni says her Christmas wish is just to be thankful she's about to receive a gift
    • One child gets a Barbie whose eyeshadow matches her own, which Pea finds delightful
    • Many children perform the "mano po" gesture (touching an elder's hand to their forehead) to show respect as they receive their gifts
  • The distribution takes several hours, and Pea realizes at one point she'd only finished half the students β€” the younger kids still needed their turn

Gifts for the school and teachers ​

  • Pea presents a projector and screen to the school's Officer-in-Charge, Miss Irene, for classroom use
    • Pea's "catch": the school has to promise to play Filipina Pea videos 24/7 (said jokingly)
  • Office supplies are also donated to the school
  • Each teacher receives a selection of fine holiday foods as a gift, with Pea calling teachers "our second mothers and fathers"

Games and activities ​

  • After gift distribution, Pea organizes games for the kids
  • Sack race with a twist: three people tied together, first team to the finish line wins
  • "Bamboo train" race: teams of five kids race around to pick up another five kids and get to the finish line
  • Both games generate big crowd energy and cheering

The feast ​

  • Pea and her volunteer "elves" hand out fried chicken meals to almost 600 people
  • She notes the logistics were intense but they pulled it off without a hitch

The Ghost of Christmas Future β€” school sponsorships ​

  • Pea explains that going to school in the Philippines isn't free β€” families must provide uniforms, supplies, and cover other expenses, making it very difficult for poor families
  • The school selected three outstanding students who need financial assistance
  • The Filipina Pea channel will sponsor each child for the next school year, providing: three uniforms, two pairs of shoes, all school supplies, and all other school expenses
  • Pea tells the sponsored kids to study hard

Closing ​

  • Pea draws the Dickens parallel fully: she's like Santa Claus bringing good cheer, slaying doubts about life in the Philippines, accompanied by valuable cultural information, helping viewers "become wise men so you don't get Scrooged"
  • She asks viewers to spend time with loved ones, reflect on what's important, and remember how many people are less fortunate
  • Context from her intro: previous Christmas specials included going door-to-door with presents for a neighborhood (two years prior) and throwing a feast for an entire barangay with laptop giveaways to deserving students (one year prior)

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