It's that time of year song release

London, August 2024. World Villages for Children, a charity whose mission is to end poverty through education, is pleased to announce a first time musical charitable collaboration between apl.de.ap and the Sisters of Mary programmes in the Philippines.

This Christmas, apl.de.ap — the Filipino-American members of the multi-Grammy award winning band Black Eyed Peas, created “It’s That Time of Year” which has been performed by over 3,000 children from the Sisters of Mary schools in the Philippines.

Sister Elena, Superior General of the Sisters of Mary, shared the following statement with supporters:

“Dear friends of the Sisters of Mary,

We are thrilled to share “It’s That Time of Year” a Christmas song produced by apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas and performed by over 3,000 children of the Sisters of Mary (SoM).

Proceeds from streams of this song will go to the care of our kids at SoM, so we would greatly appreciate it if you listen to the song, add it to your Christmas playlists, and share it with loved ones. Happy holidays to all!”

Stream on Spotify and watch the behind the scenes video of the recording here.

This initiative aims to bring awareness of the Sisters of Mary programmes in the Philippines and raise funds to bring more poor children into a quality education and care. At the Sisters of Mary programmes, children from the poorest of the poor families are given a free, quality academic and vocational education and care. In school, they receive absolutely everything they need including their clothing and shoes, three meals a day, education supplies, and quality teaching to empower them for a future away from poverty.

With this support, apl.de.ap is amplifying the voices of the children, partnering with them to create a song that captures the spirit of Christmas at the schools. It is a time full of joy and hope for every child.

For children from extremely poor families, Christmas can be a time of struggle. There are no presents, no Christmas meals, and too often families cannot be together to celebrate. The Sisters of Mary make a special effort every year to ensure that every child receives a modest, personal gift at Christmas. The gift contains practical items like clothing, shoes, personal care items, education supplies for the next year in school and a small treat. These simple gifts bring immense joy to every child.

The Sisters of Mary programmes are reliant on donations to continue. The kind financial support of thousands of people every year ensures that children from the most extreme poverty have equal access to a quality education and care, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty in their families and communities. The additional funds raised from the streaming of “It’s That Time of Year” will help care for and educate these children and help the Sister of Mary welcome even more in the year to come.

For media inquiries, please contact

Carey Evans

Fundraising and Communications Manager

Notes to Editors