From Maligayang Pasko to Maligayang Pa-Scho: OAA and Benefactors Made Ateneo Scholars' Christmas Merrier

Through the thoughtful efforts of the Office of Admission and Aid and the unwavering generosity of Ateneo benefactors, scholars gathered and welcomed the holiday season in the Maligayang Pa-Scho Christmas Party held on 4 December.

It has been two years since the last Vice President of the Loyola Schools Multi-Sectoral party. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, on-campus events have been prohibited. But this did not deter Ms. Jolly Morata, the Assistant to the Director for Scholarships, and the Scholarship Team. In recognition of the scholars' challenges and efforts in the past two years, the team thought it was time to give them an early Christmas gift.
 

The team organized the virtual Christmas party and knocked on the hearts of the benefactors. As a result, they amassed PhP 343,000.00, which they used for the cash and in-kind prizes.  

There were singing and Christmas Card making contests that showcased the creativity of Ateneo scholars.

Mark Taguinod (4 AB Philosophy), Alexa Ting (2 BS Psychology), and Gem Escolastico (4 BFA Information Design) topped the singing contest. The Christmas Card making winners were Alyanna Solis (2 BS Biology) - 1st Place -; Bernard Yumul (4 BS Chemistry with Material Science Engineering) - 2nd Place; Sophia Dumlao (2 BS Biology) - 3rd Place; Erika Basa (2 BS Psychology) - 4th Place and Melchizedek Imuan (2 AB Philosophy) - 5th Place. Two hundred fifty scholars won 500-peso cash, and 30 scholars received 1000-pesos in the raffle draw.

In addition, gadgets were also raffled off. Harvey Felipe (2 BS Applied Mathematics - Master in Data Science) received a Samsun A10 unit, while Reisha Ferrare (4 BS Chemistry) received a Samsung A42.  The grand prize, a brand-new Lenovo laptop, was donated by the Ateneo Alumni Association of Southern California through alumnus scholar Joey Escobar (AB Economics 1974).

The online event was a huge success, with more than 1000 participants in attendance.

The Maligayang Pa-Scho Christmas party only showed that we can still come together as a community to celebrate the holiday season despite the unfortunate events in the past two years. This gathering also emphasizes that the spirit of giving and togetherness in the Loyola Schools has not faded even though we are all going through this challenging time.