For the latest CSR day, we, the new interns, were given the responsibility to organize the event, and from that, Project LikhaPolis was born: an event to give back to the community by donating toys and gifts and ultimately put a smile on children’s faces.

Going into our internship, we thought we would be entering the corporate world: white desks and the cold breeze of air conditioning. That was partly true, but we never expected to be giving gifts to kids in a daycare center.

Along with the incredibly helpful teachers at Taguig SIBOL Integrated School, we gave out building blocks, coloring books and materials, school supplies, and snacks and drinks for the kids.

At first, the kids were rowdy, some were shy, and some didn’t like us when we first talked to them. But as they built houses, created robots and dinosaurs living in those houses (or in a deathmatch), or just random towers of blocks, seeing them smile and open up as they unleashed their creativity made our efforts all the more worth it.

Was it tiring? Yes, but giving back to the community, seeing the next generation, and watching them have fun, make friends, and enjoy their lives made this an internship experience none of us will ever forget, and one we will always value.