Mandaluyong’s poor folks get Yule gifts from City Hall

Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos led on Tuesday a Christmas gift-giving event in his city, giving away 60,000 buckets of goodies to poor residents.

The activity, which took place on the grounds of city hall, is an annual undertaking of the local government.

“‘Pamaskong Handog,’ which began in 1998, is primarily aimed at helping particularly the poor,” Abalos said.

“We have been doing this for two decades now because we believe everybody deserves to have something on their table,” he added.

Although the distribution of the Christmas package consisting of basic commodities contained in buckets started at 7 a.m., the people began queuing as early as 6 a.m.

Anticipating the long lines, special lanes were assigned for senior citizens, people with disabilities and pregnant women.

Christmas in the city began as early as November, when city hall was turned into a major attraction with the lighting of a giant Christmas tree and the setting up of more than 300 booths selling cheap items.

There is also a nightly variety show presented by city hall employees, police personnel, students and civic groups.

The Yuletide celebration in the city will end on Jan. 3, 2012.

But later in the afternoon, Mayor Abalos said this Christmas would be bleak for him and his family after his father, former Mandaluyong mayor and Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos, was arrested on election sabotage charges.