Mayors play Santa to indigent residents

Spreading Christmas cheer to at least 25,000 indigent families in Valenzuela City, Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian is holding a three-day gift giving activity that started last Wednesday.

The first beneficiaries of the mayor’s project were the more than 4,000 former rail dwellers now resettled at a government relocation site in Barangay Bignay.

"These gifts may be simple, but we hope to, in any way, let our less privileged constituents have a merry and vibrant Christmas celebration," Gatchalian said.

Garbed in Santa attire, the mayor yesterday hopped various depressed barangays distributing groceries to poor families and candies for the children.

Marither Menia, the city’s public information officer, said the city government allotted P2.3 million for the traditional activity.

In Mandaluyong City, Mayor Neptali Gonzales II played Santa to more than 45,000 less fortunate residents of the city.

Dubbed as "Pamaskong Handog," the annual gift giving activity is part of the city government’s commitment to address the needs and improve the lives of the underprivileged sector.

Gonzales together with his wife, Queenie, distributed pails of goodies to residents who patiently waited at the Mandaluyong City Hall grounds. They were assisted by five Miss Mandaluyong candidates.

The gift pails contained canned goods, noodles, milk, rice, salt, sugar and coffee.

"Christmas is sharing what you have with those who have less in life. And that is what the local government of Mandaluyong is doing, sharing with its constituents what they deserve and ensure that they will have a merry Christmas," Gonzales said.

The mayor and his wife, who chairs the Green Ladies Movement, granted the wish of Jaime Ballesteros, a pedicab driver and a father of four girls. His wife Josephine is suffering from severe depression.

His only wish was to end the ordeal of his wife through continuous medication and education for his four daughters.

The couple shouldered the treatment of the wife at the MCMC and a scholarship grant for the four daughters. The Ballesteros family was also given a basket of goodies and a pedicab for the father’s livelihood.

"Napakalaking pasasalamat ang ipinaaabot ko kay mayor at Mrs. Gonzales sa kanilang regalo sa aking pamilya ngayong Pasko. Hindi matatawaran ito dahil malaking pagbabago ang maitutulong nito sa buhay ng aking asawa at mga anak," Ballesteros said.

The Ballesteros have been using the second floor of a niche as a home in Mandaluyong City Public Cemetery. Ballesteros earns 150 to P200 a day as an extra driver for a neighbor’s pedicab.

In the country’s capital, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza directed all city officials to step up the tempo of holiday activities that are meant to allow residents a chance to celebrate a colorful and meaningful Christmas despite the challenging times.

"Dahil mahirap ang buhay ngayon, mas dapat nating paligayahin ang Maynila ngayong Kapaskuhan," Atienza said as he noted that "the past year has been difficult due to political bickerings and divisive partisanship."

The other day, Manila City Hall prepared for the citywide distribution of over 80,000 gift packs to residents all over the city. The gift packs are being distributed in all the six districts with the assistance of the Kababaihan ng Maynila led by the mayor’s wife, Beng, and the Manila Department of Social Welfare.

Each gift pack contains two kilos of rice, canned goods and noodles.

The City Hall gift packs were distributed to senior citizens, indigents, pedicab drivers, persons with disabilities, parents of street children and solo parents.

Earlier, Atienza unveiled a two-week series of festive activities celebrating Christmas in the city, with bright and colorful lanterns all around the city enhancing the cheery atmosphere. — Pete Laude