Camanava mayors spread Yuletide cheer

On the eve of Christmas day, northern Metro Manila mayors played Santa Claus to thousands of their employees and constituents by giving them cash gifts and goodies as part of what has become a common and traditional "Pamaskong Handog."

In Valenzuela, Mayor Jose Emmanuel "Bobbit" Carlos suited up as Santa Claus as he gave out bags of goodies like sugar, noodles, coffee and rice to some 3,000 poor families in front of city hall.

"The yearly Pamaskong Handog has been a part of my pledge to my constituents starting when I was vice mayor, I will see to it that this program will continue even when times are hard," Carlos said.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said some 2,500 poor families were this year’s beneficiaries of goodies which he and local officials had distributed.

Tiangco expressed gratitude to local businessmen and members of non-government organizations who gave their share which made this year’s "Pamaskong Handog" successful.

In Malabon, Mayor Amado Vicencio handed out similar bags of goodies to thousands of residents from the city’s 23 barangays. Vicencio said he also hosted separate Christmas parties for his employees and members of the fire and police departments wherein hundreds of gift items were also distributed.

The mayors said the 13th-month pay and cash gifts amounting to millions of pesos have been received by their employees.

Caloocan City Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo was the odd-man out as he dispensed with the distribution of gifts, even to city hall employees.

"The mayor has been, from the very beginning, not really keen on the idea. He prefers that people benefit in the long term through viable livelihood programs and other similar projects and not the usual dole-outs," city information officer Susan de Leon said in a phone interview.

Showing signs that the city government is financially hardup as the mayor’s critics insist, the lights that brightly illuminated major thoroughfares leading to the city proper are conspicuously absent this year.

"The times must be really hard including at the city hall. No decors could even be found on the city streets. It’s as if it’s not Christmas here in Caloocan," vendor Bert Beratio, 37, said.