11 January 2022, Kuala Lumpur – Last December, honoring a long-standing Christmas tradition among Filipinos, the Choir of the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia organized a virtual carolling activity to raise funds for the benefit of Filipino children in alternative learning centers (ALCs) in Labuan and Sabah.

The carolling sessions, which started on December 16 and ran until December 26, were conducted via Zoom to comply with ongoing COVID19 SOPs and were made possible by the support of Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia H.E. Charles Jose.

Through these sessions, the Embassy Choir serenaded the homes of various benefactors, both in Malaysia and in the Philippines, including homes for the elderly and orphanages sponsored by Malaysia-based YTL Group of Companies, to spread the Christmas cheer among the residents.

In her opening remarks for the carolling program, Madam Maria Victoria Jose, the Embassy Choir Director and wife of Ambassador Jose, highlighted the significance of carolling as a Filipino Christmas tradition: “Carolling is very much a part of the Filipino Christmas tradition and a fun activity for many Filipino children.  Starting December 16, or 9 days before Christmas, they would gather in groups and go from house to house in the neighborhood to sing Christmas carols with makeshift musical instruments in hand, like tambourines made of soft-drink bottle caps strung on a piece of wire to spread the Christmas cheer.  They are rewarded with some money for their singing and they get excited with the little money they gather to buy some Christmas treats.

The virtual program featured classic Christmas carols in Filipino and in English, performed by the Embassy Choir and arranged by the Choir’s Musical Director and Choirmaster, Ms. Gladys Gulapa, a seasoned and talented Filipino arranger and musician working in Malaysia and Singapore since 1985.

The proceeds of the carolling activity will be donated to ALCs in Labuan and Sabah, which are managed by Filipino community volunteers and provide free basic education to Filipino children, who have no access to regular education. Despite their resources severely impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, the ALCs have continued to operate with a total of 733 students in 2021 solely through the efforts of volunteers.

Madam Vicky Jose also shared that the virtual carolling activity was warmly received especially by Malaysian benefactors, who felt truly blessed to be part of a charitable cause: “The Choir is deeply grateful to all who contributed their time and resources to make this first-ever carolling activity possible. We especially thank our Malaysian and Filipino benefactors for making time to take part in this activity. Through their kindness and generosity, we are able to extend additional support to the operations of our ALCs in Labuan and Sabah for the benefit of Filipino children there.”

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For more information, please contact:

Embassy of the Philippines (Attention: Information Section)

1 Jalan Changkat Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur 50450 Malaysia

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel No. +603 2148 4233

Fax No. +603 2148 3576