Light the World Campaign Reaches Commuters and Communities Across the Philippines

This Christmas season, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is bringing the Light the World message to everyday spaces across the Philippines. Guided by this year’s theme, “Experience His Light,” the campaign encourages people to share the light of Jesus Christ through simple, natural acts of kindness and service.

One of the campaign’s most visible efforts this year is the Light the World Train, which operates on LRT Line 2 in Metro Manila. Running until the end of the year, the fully wrapped train features images of the Savior Jesus Christ and traditional nativity scenes to turn daily commutes into opportunities for reflection.

Inside the train, handrails and handles display short, practical reminders that promote Christlike love in simple ways. Messages encourage commuters to smile at someone, offer a seat to those who need it more, or spread happiness through small, meaningful actions. As thousands of passengers travel the line each day, more are introduced to Jesus Christ and the Church through the Light The World campaign.

In addition to the train, the Church has placed Light the World billboards in key locations across Luzon, including an LED board at EDSA Guadalupe, EDSA Main Avenue, Katipunan Avenue, NLEX Marilao, and SLEX KM14. Each billboard features an image of Mary holding the baby Jesus, a prominent figure in Filipino Christmas scenes. A QR code on each display directs viewers to the Light the World website, which offers ideas for sharing Christ’s light through everyday acts of kindness and service.

Adding a distinctly Filipino voice to this year’s campaign, the Church in the Philippines also produced a nativity video titled “Ang Unang Pasko” (The First Christmas). Portrayed by Filipino children, the video retells the sacred events recorded in Luke 2 while incorporating familiar cultural elements such as bahay kubo, a traditional parol, and others.

A unique feature of the video is the inclusion of a child portraying Lola Basyang, a literary character created by Severino Reyes and widely recognized in Filipino storytelling. Often associated with the image of a grandmother sharing stories with her grandchildren, Lola Basyang serves as a familiar guide through the nativity account, connecting the story of Christ’s birth with Filipino family traditions.

“Ang Unang Pasko” has reached a vast audience both locally and internationally. Across Facebook and Instagram, the video has garnered more than 40 million views and nearly 170,000 post interactions. It has also been shared more than 15,000 times by different accounts worldwide.

Another key component of the Light the World campaign in the Philippines is the introduction of the Light the World Giving Machines. These vending machine–style donation kiosks give the public the opportunity to donate cash that supports essential items and services for children and families in need.

Giving Machines have been launched in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Bacolod, expanding the initiative across major cities nationwide. Each location works with local charity partners to help ensure that donations are directed to intended beneficiaries.

The Giving Machines are available for donations until the first week of January 2026.