By the time December arrives, streets glow with lights, carols float through the air, and politicians roll out their annual greetings of “Maligayang Pasko sa lahat.”  But for millions of Filipinos, Christmas comes not with gifts or relief, but with the familiar weight of absence—no clean water, no decent roads, no classrooms repaired, no hospitals improved. In a season meant for giving, the poorest communities are left asking the same bitter question: where did the money go?

For Filipinos, Christmas is a special holiday that they celebrate with family or someone they love: the long-awaited reunions, adults giving gifts, silly party games, and a warm feast of Noche Buena that brings everyone together. While homes across the country glow with colorful parols, over 2.16 million Filipinos are spending their holidays thousands of miles away—packing their “balikbayan” boxes instead of gifts, sending videos instead of hugs, and celebrating Christmas thr

Centered on journalism’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Journalism Studies Association of the Philippines (JSAP) National Conference 2025 gathered students, educators, and media practitioners on December 9, at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ (PUP) Bulwagang Balagtas. Organized by the PUP Department of Journalism (DOJ) in collaboration with the JSAP board members and partner institutions, the conference carried the theme “Journal