This has been a regular sight every Christmas Day in the past years, as the Dutertes, who have dominated local and now national politics, provide a Pahalipay sa Pasko drive where they provide food items, grocery checks, and food packs for people who visit their old home.
What a sad Christmas season this is for the peace-loving peoples of the world. Devastating wars are being waged, most notably, today, in Palestine and Ukraine. Soldiers are dying, civilians are suffering and dying too, and there seems to be no power on earth that will stop the gunfire.
Those back home must recognize that the challenges faced by OFWs extend beyond the visual narratives shared online.
The early Christmas rush turned tragic in Bankerohan Public Market when a civilian maneuvered a parked military truck and rammed it into marketgoers killing two and injuring three.
The city government’s Banda Dasig and Parada sa Pasko events last Friday were supposed to bring cheers but instead were jeered for stalling traffic for hours.
MEMORIES. Father and son enjoy the sight of a colorful ferris wheel at San Pedro Square, a night attraction organized by the city for the Christmas season. (Kath Cortez/davaotoday.com)
More than four centuries of foreign acculturation of the Filipino has effectively woven a cultural matrix that has welded both Spanish and American influences in the Christmas consciousness of present-day Filipinos.
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.
