DepEd-12 tells schools execs to have simple Christmas party

KORONADAL CITY (PIA)-- As a tradition, public elementary and high schools in SOCCSKSARGEN Region will celebrate Christmas before they go on vacation for the holiday season in December but not in the manner it has usually been done – with expensive gift-giving and parties.Dr. Allan Farnazo, OIC regional director of the Department of Education 12, said he has already sent memorandum prohibiting collections for Christmas parties.Should public schools decide to hold Christmas parties, merriment should be kept simple, he added. I have already released a regional memorandum prohibiting the usual practices of expensive gift-giving and partying,” Farnazo said. This is in anticipation of the problems of excessiveparties, too much contributions, and the like that usually occur during this season,” he said.Instead, the regional DepEd chief appealed to school heads in the region to push for alternative ways of commemorating Christmas. We recommend alternative celebration such as conducting community clean up drives, clean up of ‘estero,’ tree planting or visits to hospitals, prisons, or orphanages,” he said.In this manner, he added, schools in Region 12 will inculcate among children a more admirable value in the celebration of Christmas that is outside of traditional ways of celebration, which he described as very commercialized.He expects the memorandum to reach all schools in the region this week.DepEd 12 oversees the provincial school division of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat and the city school divisions of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan, and Cotabato.