Christmas food packs still to be given out, but...

CEBU, Philippines — Despite austerity measures for Christmas celebrations at the Mandaue City Hall, the city government will continue its Gugma sa Pasko food assistance program this year, although with stricter guidelines on who can receive the aid.

Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano assured residents that the program will push through, saying it was a commitment made by the city government.

“Mao man to atong gisaad,” Ouano said in an interview.

However, unlike last year when around 100,000 households received Christmas food packs regardless of their socio-economic status, this year’s distribution will prioritize identified vulnerable sectors, with only one beneficiary allowed per household.

Ouano said the changes were made in response to recommendations from the Commission on Audit (COA), which called on the city to clearly identify the sectors that will benefit from the program.

The priority beneficiaries will include senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and solo parents, among other vulnerable groups.

Under the revised guidelines, a household with a senior citizen, a PWD and a solo parent, for instance, will receive only one food pack instead of one for each qualified member.

“One beneficiary per household. Dili na per sector. Pero mapadayon ra gihapon ni,” Ouano said.

The changes followed COA’s audit observations on the city’s ?55.525-million Christmas food assistance program in 2025.

State auditors flagged the expenditure, saying the city had not sufficiently established its connection to a specific social issue or development gap that would justify charging it against the 20% Development Fund.

COA also noted that the city lacked sufficient documentation showing how the purchase of Christmas-related goods addressed a particular socio-economic concern, emergency condition, or development deficiency requiring government intervention.

Ouano said the city will comply with the auditors’ recommendations but questioned why Mandaue was singled out, noting that the program was patterned after similar initiatives in other local government units.

“Among gi-compare ang atong gibuhat karon kay first man to nato nga year (2025), gi-compare nato sa Mandaluyong, Pasig, wala man gani ordinance ilaha. Apil ra g’yud sa ilang budget ug tanan sang household gipanghatag,” he said.

“So nahibong gani ta nganong kita ra’y na-flag nga kani sila nag-una na nato pila ka tuig, Makati, Quezon City,” he added.

Despite raising questions about the audit observation, Ouano assured Mandauehanons that they will still receive the Christmas Noche Buena food packs this year.

The city is also working to institutionalize the program through an ordinance that will establish clear distribution guidelines and identify qualified beneficiaries.

The proposed measure is pending final reading before the City Council. Earlier, the city government said the ordinance will prioritize vulnerable sectors, including senior citizens, PWDs and solo parents, in response to COA’s recommendations.

With the revised guidelines, the number of beneficiaries is expected to decrease from last year’s 100,000 households, although the city government has maintained that the program will continue. — (FREEMAN)