Lancaster New City celebrates meaningful ChristmaSaya 2020

Being #YourFamilyFriendlyCity, Lancaster New City has always remained committed to make Christmas for all its homeowners as memorable as it was in the past years, even amidst these tough times.  Lancaster New City (LNC) by PRO-FRIENDS, a master-planned property development, is home to many Cavitenos as well as professionals and families from around Metro Manila seeking a quieter, secure, and more serene living. The property development that spans across portions of General Trias, Imus, and Kawit in Cavite, provides not only state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities, and wide-open spaces, but also, it champions the concept of sense of family and community.  

LNC’s annual Holiday tradition, now on its 10th year, usually gathers residents to witness the Christmas Tree lighting, outdoor concert, and an open-air movie night.  However, with the health scare brought about by the pandemic crisis, this year’s event demanded a more creative response.  Thus fueled by LNC’s dedication to keep the Christmas joy alive, LNC brought the residents to celebrate the Yuletide spirit together and fashion a meaningful fete while keeping families safe from the pandemic.  

Billed as ChristmaSaya 2020, LNC launched a one-of-a-kind float parade, with Santa mounted on a Christmas float going around the villages to collect gifts to share with less fortunate families around the community.  LNC residents were also given the opportunity to support their local entrepreneurs during the two-day Holiday Weekend Market, join the gift-giving for less fortunate kids and families, and together watch the Homeowners’ Night, a live virtual concert.  

The ChristmaSaya Float Activity featured Santa’s sleigh, an elaborately decorated vehicle adorned and well-lit by colorful Christmas lights which toured the various villages bringing smiles to children and adults alike.  Families were treated to a Christmas spectacle, with all homeowners watching the parade from their gates and front yards and many offering gifts to share. Despite the challenges caused by Covid-19, the Float Parade brought magic and Christmas joy closer to each home and family, proving that there are creative and safer ways to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas as one united community.  

This year’s two-day Buyani Weekend Market, held at the Lancaster New City Activity Center, showcased products of LNC’s very own small medium entrepreneurs.  The pop-up stores sold local produce and unique handmade crafts, fruits and vegetables, potted plants (for certified plant parents), among many others—making it a one-stop shop for perfect Holiday gift ideas.  There were food stalls that offered popular street food, rice meals, snacks, fresh juices, sandwiches, and desserts. The Buyani Weekend Market operated with the strictest observation of health and safety protocols including wearing of masks and face shields, and the practice of social distancing. Only people from 15 to 65 years old were allowed inside the market.  

Christmas is indeed the season for giving, LNC homeowners did a “reverse Santa” by donating hundreds of ChristmaSaya gift bags, collected during the Float Parade, to communities in need and to LNC’s service personnel.  “We wanted to share the true meaning of Christmas to every family here in Lancaster New City despite the pandemic and we were happy to see how our young and old homeowners’ eyes lit up as the the Float Parade toured the villages and to witness the joy as families handed over their donated gift bags to Santa Claus. Because of your generosity, we have distributed these ChristmaSaya bags to our LNC guards, garbage collectors, grasscutters and to the frontliners and service personnel of Brgy. Navarro and Alapan, as well as Gawad Kalinga community in Alapan,” Issa Cuevas-Santos, Community and Culture Development Group Head of PRO-FRIENDS said.  

Spearheaded by #GalingLNC community leaders, the LNC Regaluhan Drive turned over the first batch of ChristmaSaya bags to 130 families from Gawad Kalinga Alapan in Imus, Cavite. As part of the Regaluhan, LNC also had a Christmas Shoebox Project gifting kids in need.  In a distinct display of hope and solidarity, LNC residents demonstrated that even during extremely hard times, the Christmas spirit of kindness and generosity is still genuinely alive.  

ChristmaSaya 2020 culminated with #GalingLNC Homeowners’ Night Online Concert where residents and homeowners joined the live streaming.  Local artists such as Bargo Brothers, Jash Dance, and St. Edward School Amplify serenaded everyone with well-loved OPM Christmas Carols.  There were interactive trivia questions and games. Cash prizes and ChristmaSaya gift bags were given away to lucky viewersflsdjfs who were interacting during the online e-vent.  During the live online concert, #GalingLNC and youth volunteers asked homeowners what they are grateful for this year and got positive replies. They also shared the charity initiatives and other programs launched and accomplished by LNC Homeowners this year, including the donation drive for the victims and survivors of the Taal Volcano eruption, volunteerism and Dugtong Tulong endeavor during the lockdown, media projects such as Payong (rainy day tips), Sulat and Mahal (a film tribute for OFWs), tree-planting spearheaded by Jam Aclan, Lancaster Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. (LEHOA) President, and other Bayanihan efforts.  The e-vent highlighted Galing Collab, an initiative of local young artists, writers, and content creators who want to give back to the Lancaster community by creating inspiring and educational content. It is a coming together of talented youth, in a creative online platform, to encourage other young artists to share, unleash, and establish a purpose for their talents and skills.  

It may have been a one-of-a-kind Christmas but the LNC homeowners demonstrated how it can also be a time of joy, collaboration, kindness, and generosity—the true reason for the Season—and that Christmas can still be the most wonderful time of the year. 

“This has been a challenging year for all of us but there will always be reasons to be thankful and to share our blessings with others. Our LNC homeowners and residents have proven that we can still celebrate Christmas meaningfully. As long as we work hand in hand, the Yuletide celebration here at Lancaster New City will always be ChristmaSaya. Merry Christmas and may we all have a Covid-free 2021!” Cuevas-Santos concluded. 

To know more about #LancasterNewCity, please visit the website: https://www.lancasternewcity.com.ph/ INQUIRER.net/JA