US envoy to kids: Ask Santa for books, not toys

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. has advised children to refrain from toys and candies and ask Santa Claus for books instead.

“No toys. No candies. Just books,” Thomas told 70 school children gathered on December 17 at the Baguio City library.

Then he let out a big laugh and said, “That’s only tsismis  (gossip). You can have your toys and books but remember to go back to your books the day after Christmas.”

Thomas donated children’s books to the Baguio City Library and the American Corner of the Saint Louis University  Library.

“I don’t know how Santa comes to Baguio,” he said. “I don’t see any chimneys here.”

He directed the children from different elementary schools here to the Web site (www.noradsanta.com) where Santa Claus would be passing through and distributing gifts on Christmas.

Thomas and his staff then watched the shadow play rendition of Joey Ayala’s song “Tabi Po,” followed by a short ballet of “Malakas and Maganda” and dramatic reading of “Biag ni Lam-ang,” all by the SLU Center for Culture and the Arts.

Playing Santa, he donated baseball equipment to the Mabini Elementary School.

Thomas, whose other mission is to start the baseball revival in the country, said the equipment, which included baseballs, aluminum bats and gloves, were donated by his classmates in the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.

He also handed souvenir items from the 2010 World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants.

“The star player in the championship team of San Francisco is a pitcher they call the ‘Freak’ because he is so small and powerful and is a Filipino-American,” Thomas said of Tim Lincecum.

Lincecum’s grandparents on the father’s side hailed from Mindanao and Cebu and on the mother’s side from Batangas and Siquijor.