DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio advised Davaoeños not to flock to President Duterte’s former residence this Christmas season as the family’s annual gift-giving event will have changes this year.
The mayor announced on Monday that their distribution of “pahalipay packs” (joy package) of food items will be spread to the 182 barangay councils in observance of the COVID-19 health protocol.
With last year’s record-breaking number of people lining up since early morning late December to the president’s former residence in Taal Road, Central Park Subdivision in Bangkal, Matina that saw the queue spill along the highway, Mayor Duterte said she consulted with the President on the best option to continue their activity while prohibiting the gathering of crowds because of the protocols.
“What we do now is we divide it into 182 barangays and we based our groceries to the census,” she said in the interview on DXQQ Davao City Disaster Radio.
The mayor asked the public to refrain from going to the former Duterte home and wait for the gift packages to be delivered to their respective barangays.
“Don’t waste your money and time, it is better if you will not go there to Taal (Road) because nobody is there,” Duterte-Carpio said.
The distribution of the grocery packs is set by the barangays from December 17 to 23. Beneficiaries will be based on the existing lists from officials of deserving indigent families.
The Duterte family has been doing this gift-giving since the president became mayor in 1988 in part of the Christmas tradition and has swelled in recent years. (davaotoday.com)
Christmas, covid-19, davao city, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, pandemic
