Gatchalian dispensed with any lavish preparations and spent the last days going into the weekend from his birthday last Wednesday at the forefront of several outreach activities for the indigent residents of the city, particularly the children, who are the most vulnerable in the community.
Some 600 boys in their pre-adolescent and early teen years underwent their rite of passage into manhood through a free and painless circumcision conduction in all the health centers in the city.
Gatchalian said simultaneous medical missions were also conducted in the depressed communities of Canumay, Gen. T. de Leon, Malinta and Marulas.
Some 2,900 city residents, mostly children, were given free medical attention and went home with free medicines for common ailments like colds and cough.
Capping the weeklong activities was the Eye Care Day yesterday that saw free eyesight screening and refraction and eyeglass prescription. Also part of the mayor’s birthday celebration was the Bantay Diabetes Day which featured fast blood sugar (FBS) screening for diabetic patients. The activities were held at the Valenzuela Convention Center just behind the city hall.
Gatchalian spent the day of his birthday visiting all city hospitals distributing gifts to all babies born the same day. Capping the day was the mayor’s celebrating his birthday with a simple afternoon party for some 200 lucky residents sharing the same birthday with him, who went home with treats from the mayor. – Jerry Botial