‘Volunteers are the backbone of Paskong Pinoy’
- The Umang Glee Club performs in the choral competition of last Sunday’s Paskong Pinoy at the Marianas Business Plaza grounds in Susupe. (Contributed Photo)
- Deal or No Deal host Macoi Aguda, left, talks to the banker about his offer to contestant Mary Ann Jardin. (Contributed Photo)
- Ruel Nava, center, wins the Christmas lantern-making contest. (Contributed Photo)
- Green Meadows School elementary students perform in the chorale competition. (Contributed Photo)
- Philippine honorary consul Eli Arago, second left, joins United Filipino Organization president Bong Malasarte, left, Mary Ann Jardin, third left, and other volunteers for a group photo. (Contributed Photo)
United Filipino Organization president Bong Malasarte said that he assigned each volunteer to specific committees to distribute the workload.
“These volunteers, young and old, helped me in making sure we bring joy to the community. There is division of work since this is a big project,” said Malasarte. “A lot of our youth were also involved in organizing the event. It is a form of development and training for them.”
Games, entertainment numbers, and various contests entertained the crowd, with the Deal or No Deal game show, hosted by Macoi Aguda, serving as the highlight of the evening’s festivities.
The Umang Glee Club of Koblerville Elementary School bested Green Meadow School in their two-cornered fight in the choir singing competition.
UGC earned 78 points to win $300 cash while GMS, which scored 73 percent, settled for the $200 runner up prize.
San Antonio Middle School’s Matthew Roy Alla, 12, topped the solo singing contest with Jane Nicole Mozunder of Oleai Elementary School coming in second place.
Eight-year-old Donna Rose Santiago of San Vicenter Elementary School came in third.
Angeline Faith Cacdac, Ashley Palacios, and Justin Tubera were the other contestants.
Ruel Naval beat two other entries in the Christmas lantern-making contest, which has been held annually since UFO was formed in 1997.
Mary Ann Jardin was the lucky contestant that earned the chance to play in the Deal or No Deal contest where the top prize was $2,000.
Jardin bested 99 other contestants in the elimination round, which was a question-and-answer portion. She had the winning answer when asked who was UFO’s first president, the late Pastor Gagarin.
She picked briefcase No. 8 since it was the birth date of her goddaughter, the daughter of her best friend. The $2,000 prize was in briefcase No. 6, coincidentally the day of her birth.
Jardin’s first five choices of briefcases to be opened was a disappointing sight as most of the top amounts, including $500 and $1,000, were scratched out.
In the end she took the banker’s offer of $350 instead of sticking to her briefcase, which was worth $650.