A pro bono kind of service, where you experience sleepless nights, suffer no over-time and night differential pay policy, send out in a field work with no travel allowance and worst incentive leave cannot be availed once you are called  — yet nobody dares to complain. They are not even included among the thousand complaints filed in the Department of Labor and Employment.  You cannot also see them in streets shouting for wage increase because actually they receive no salary at all.

Who are these people?

We went to this first group on the second day of their big event. This first group is composed of young professionals and students who seemed to master the art of time management. We heard their stories, how they able to set a schedule for meeting despite their conflict schedules, how they went in battle for this activity, how they deal misunderstanding and how they prepared for this activity with no normal sleep. During our stay, everything is going smooth. An advantage of being dedicated professionals and bright students. Yes, they sleep at dawn and wakes up early in the morning.

It took 2 ½ hours of travel to this next group of super heroes of their times who just play and enjoy what they are doing. A hospitable act we received when we get there, they hug us, say hello and gave us food to eat, and I must say its dinner time when we arrived. It is their third night; their laughs, shouts, claps and dances made me realized how they played this super hero game well. Yes, they sleep at dawn and wakes up early in the morning.

At 3AM, we pretend to be villain, sneak out and escape these super heroes. Our next group is a bunch of well -made crafts who are babies to us but who work like giants. It’s a short stay, but with how they run the activity, they grow so fast. Their eyes are full of excitement when they gave story about what happened in their first night. It’s like kids getting three stars mark on their hands. As we waved goodbye, unconsciously I utter to myself “they grow so fast”.  An accomplishment every father would be proud of.  By the way, yes they sleep at dawn and wakes up early in the morning.

Road to get to this last group made us knights, a battle with big trucks, buses, rough roads, forests, heat of the sun and thick dust.  This last group makes something magical in their creative work of art. I guess, their fairies and we were trapped in a land of magic.  Indeed, a worth it travel. It’s their last night of activity, a not ordinary night. How did they able to set a fire when it actually rained? Something magical happened; I think it is how fairies work. Yes they sleep at dawn and wakes up early in the morning.

You know who is the boss and the teacher of the first group we visited? Who gave the power of those super hero kids? Who is the father of those babies who grow so fast and who is the godfather of those fairies? And what is this big event?

Salute to these Districts Officers of Northeast Philippines Annual Conference whose passion and commitment to serve the Lord is something beyond violation of the Labor Code of the Philippines. And yes, we are with them in those times when “They sleep at dawn and wakes up early in the morning”. An every CHRISTMAS INSTITUTE scenario.