It's a bright Saturday morning, appropriate for anything outdoor activities. This kind of comfortable weather suggests nothing but to obey what your mind and heart long to experience and experience again as well as to utilize the freedom life has bestowed.

For those who haves, it is timely for everything but not to those who have not like the thousands of indigenous from the hinterlands of Paquibato who go down the city to ask blessings and presents from the city people during this time of the year. Today, the kind members of Philippine National Police Academy alumni extended their aide to these minorities...special day, a sardines party for them.

First, why sardines and not some other special food, those kinds that the IP's had never experienced in the highlands or those served only on very seldom occasions?

Major Cabuhat the PNP chief of Tugbok station shed light to this question and curios query.

Year 2001, this kind of party came to existence. An official asked a group of lumad what they wanted for Christmas. Surprisingly (on my personal outlook) most mouths speak of nothing but sardines. I remember an old family friend,said that a can of sardines they used to call salmon is one of the special food they can offer to their guests. Maybe they shared the same reason as to the lumads. That was when the sardines party started.

I am a testimony on how these faces turn bright as each one of them got their share of rice, bihon and the star of the meal-sardines.

These are only sardines we can always buy in any store for less than 10 bucks only yet to those poor lumad individuals mean a lot to them. More than the food, the sense of thoughtfulness is the reason why those haggard faces have a space for appreciation.

It is just so sad that Christmas is commemorated only once in 365 days. how about twice per year?