Paskotitap 2024: Continuing Traditions, Shining to the Future

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The spirit of Christmas was alive and vibrant in Pasig City with the highly anticipated Paskotitap 2024 celebration, held on Saturday, December 14, at the Pasig City Hall Quadrangle. This year’s theme, "Continuing Traditions, Shining to the Future," brought together thousands of Pasigueños in a heartwarming display of festive unity and cultural pride.

The event kicked off with the Float Parade, which captured the essence of the holiday season. Starting from Eastbank Road in Barangay Sta. Lucia and making its way to Caruncho Avenue in Barangay San Nicolas, the parade showcased stunningly decorated floats from 26 barangays across the city. The vibrant procession was graced by Pasig City officials, including Mayor Vico Sotto, Congressman Roman Romulo, Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski, members of the Pasig City Council, private sector partners, and representatives from various government agencies.

As the parade flowed through the streets, the Pasig City Hall Quadrangle hosted an exciting pre-program. The crowd was entertained by a variety of performances, including the energetic Talaarawan Band, the captivating talents of Ms. Rosario Tan, and the Golden Age Dancers who triumphed in the Senior Citizen’s Month 2024 dance and singing contests. In addition, the Kalawaan Elementary School, which emerged as the champion of the Inter-School Street Dance Competition 2024, dazzled the audience with their spirited dance moves.

The official program commenced with heartfelt Christmas greetings from the city’s leaders, ushering in a sense of warmth and festive cheer, while looking forward to a prosperous New Year in 2025.

In the Float Parade competition, Barangay Pineda emerged as the Grand Winner, taking home a grand prize of PHP 200,000.00. The previous year’s champion, Barangay Malinao, earned the title of First Runner-Up, securing PHP 150,000.00, while Barangay Manggahan clinched Second Runner-Up and received PHP 100,000.00.

Special Awards were also given to the standout participants of the event:

Best in Holiday Representation: Barangay Pineda and Barangay Ugong

Judges’ Choice Award: Barangay Pineda and Barangay Malinao

Most Festive Group: Barangay Manggahan and Barangay Pinagbuhatan

Best Community Spirit: Barangay Manggahan and Barangay Pinagbuhatan

Most Innovative Award: Barangay Pineda and Barangay Palatiw

The Special Awardees were each presented with a Plaque of Recognition and PHP 10,000.00 as a token of appreciation for their exceptional contributions.

Following the festive parade, the evening continued with an electrifying concert featuring a lineup of popular Filipino talents, including Dilaw, Kiyo, Allison Shore, Jelai Andres, Buboy Villar, Boobay, Pepita, and Flow M. The performances kept the crowd energized and added a lively soundtrack to the already vibrant celebration.

The Pasig City government expressed their heartfelt gratitude to all Pasigueños who participated in making Paskotitap 2024 a resounding success. This annual tradition not only showcased the city's rich culture and creativity but also brought the community closer together in the spirit of Christmas.

If you missed Paskotitap 2024, don’t worry! Relive the magic of the event by following this link: Paskotitap 2024 Highlights.

Empowerment Over Dependency: Building a Self-Reliant Nation

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In every government’s agenda, the true measure of success lies in the ability to empower its citizens—not in perpetually providing temporary relief. The Filipino people deserve opportunities for growth, dignity through work, and a path to self-sufficiency. When government aid (ayuda) becomes a long-term crutch rather than a stepping stone, it breeds dependency and strips individuals of the ability to stand on their own feet.

The Pitfalls of Ayuda Dependency

The primary role of government aid should be to provide immediate support during crises. However, when short-term ayuda transforms into a system of political leverage, it becomes detrimental. As a netizen aptly said, “Tungkulin nyo na alalayan sila para makatayo sa sariling mga paa at hindi habang buhay na paasahin ninyo sa inyong tulong.”

In recent times, many politicians have exploited aid programs to present themselves as saviors, particularly during election seasons. While the ayuda provides momentary relief, it fails to create sustainable solutions. Instead of empowering individuals to improve their lives, it creates an unhealthy cycle of dependence where citizens feel indebted to politicians who exploit their hardships.

The concern raised regarding the billions allocated to the AKAP program highlights a larger issue: a lack of transparency, accountability, and tangible results. Where do these funds truly go? What lasting impact do they leave on the lives of the people? These are questions that demand answers.

Work with Dignity: A Sustainable Solution

Every Filipino striving to improve their quality of life deserves "trabahong marangal ang sahod"—decent jobs with fair wages. Providing jobs allows people to restore their dignity, improve their standard of living, and contribute to the country’s economic growth. Handouts cannot replace the power of gainful employment. As the saying goes:

“Give a man fish to eat and you feed him once. Teach him how to catch fish and you feed him a lifetime.”

Government programs must be designed to teach skills, provide education, and generate livelihood opportunities. Investing in infrastructure, small businesses, and industries creates employment and empowers families to thrive independently.

Targeted and Transparent Ayuda Programs

While ayuda is necessary for vulnerable populations, it must be implemented with clear guidelines and accountability. As Dedace points out, it is critical that programs are detailed in their Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), including:

Who qualifies for aid? Clear criteria to ensure those in genuine need receive assistance.

What are the responsibilities of beneficiaries? Aid should not be seen as a one-way street; beneficiaries should be encouraged to use the assistance as a stepping stone.

Monitoring and follow-up. Agencies must ensure that ayuda recipients do not perpetually rely on handouts but are guided toward opportunities for self-sufficiency.

Another netizen raises another crucial point: the middle class, despite being the backbone of the economy, is often excluded from aid programs. While the lower-income groups receive ayuda, the middle class continues to struggle with rising living costs without adequate support. Fair and inclusive policies are necessary to bridge this gap.

The AKAP Controversy: Aid or Political Tool?

Programs like AKAP, criticized as a pure dole-out project, face backlash for being politically motivated. The people argue that such initiatives lack social relevance and fail to create lasting impact. For many, it reflects a “napakabulok na sistema”—a decayed system where aid becomes a tool to secure votes rather than uplift lives.

The distrust in programs like AKAP underscores the need for systemic reform. Aid should be devoid of political manipulation. Instead of short-term relief, funds must be channeled toward initiatives that create employment, skill development, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Ending Political Opportunism

The problem runs deeper than ayuda alone. Dedace’s observation about politics turning into a lucrative business highlights a growing trend: individuals entering politics not out of public service but for self-enrichment. This mindset erodes trust and leads to ineffective, self-serving programs.

Public service should focus on empowering Filipinos to break free from poverty—not keeping them dependent on politicians for survival. As a netizen passionately states, “Tama na ang pumasok at pakain-kain dyan.” It is time for leaders to focus on real, lasting solutions rather than perpetuating aid-dependent systems.

A Call for Genuine Empowerment

The road to a truly empowered nation begins with a government that prioritizes sustainable solutions over temporary fixes. Empowerment through education, skills training, livelihood programs, and job creation should be at the forefront of the government’s agenda.

The Filipino people are resilient and hardworking. Given the right tools and opportunities, they can rise above challenges and contribute to the country’s progress. The government must recognize its duty: to empower, not enable; to create opportunities, not dependence; and to uplift, not exploit.

In the end, lasting change will come not from politicians acting as benefactors but from a government that works hand-in-hand with its people to build a future where every Filipino stands tall, proud, and self-reliant.

Let us reject systems that keep us dependent and demand leadership that empowers us to thrive. The time for real change is now.

Index Partners Advises CREI on the Sale of Its TowerCo Portfolio to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines

  

Index Partners is pleased to announce its role as financial advisor to CREI Management Services FZE ("CREI") in the successful agreement to sell its Philippine tower portfolio to Frontier Tower Associates Philippines Inc. (“Frontier”), a Towerco operator backed by KKR.

The transaction involves the sale of 100% shares in PH1 Holding FZ-LLC, the UAE-based parent company of Communication and Renewable Energy Infrastructure CREI Phils Inc., adding over 400 telecom towers with a colocation ratio of 1.25x to Frontier’s network of nearly 5,000 towers. This strategic divestment represents a significant milestone in CREI’s broader vision to drive sustainable energy and connectivity solutions across Asia and Africa.

This transaction highlights Index Partners’ capabilities in advising complex, high-value deals within the digital infrastructure sector in Southeast Asia, and its commitment in advancing connectivity and empowering businesses to scale through strategic, innovative transactions in the digital space.

Index Partners, together with Global Gate Capital, are the exclusive financial advisors to CREI on the transaction. Legal counsel for CREI was provided by Jones Day, King & Spalding, and MVGS.

About CREI

CREI is part of “Two Thirty Three Holdings SA” Group, a global telecom and energy services group. CREI is a UAE established asset management company holding through its subsidiaries a portfolio of telecom towers and renewable power assets across Africa and Asia. Its main activities entail providing sustainable energy and connectivity to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and rural communities across developing countries. CREI capitalizes on the expertise and synergies created throughout its group of affiliated companies to provide a full service to Operators and deliver efficient solutions that are integrated along the value chain. Through managing a portfolio of Telecom ESCO, TowerCo, and Network as a Service (NaaS) projects, CREI delivers agile solutions to all its stakeholders including the MNOs, addressing specific social and environmental needs to achieve lasting positive impact, decreasing the carbon footprint while improving the operator’s network performance and reach.

About Frontier

Frontier is a subsidiary of Pinnacle. Pinnacle invests in, builds and operates telecommunications infrastructure with a focus on towers and related assets. Pinnacle is an Asia-focused digital infrastructure platform with a strong focus on the rapidly growing Philippines market. Frontier’s leadership team includes founders of a number of highly successful tower companies and former C-level executives from some of the world’s leading wireless operators. Pinnacle is backed by leading global investment firm KKR.

About Index Partners

Index Partners is a corporate finance advisory boutique specializing in mid-market transactions across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, having presence in Hong Kong, London, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila. With a proven track record in telecommunications, healthcare, consumer and retail sectors, Index Partners delivers tailor-made advisory services that unlock value and drive impactful outcomes.