Former President Joseph Estrada and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim—rivals in next year’s mayoral election—both marked the holiday season with children at orphanages close to their heart—and a seeming truce in their word war.
There was no trading of innuendos for the holidays as Estrada visited Thursday the Asociacion de Damas Filipinas in Paco district while Lim marked his 83rd birthday at Hospicio de San Jose in San Miguel district last week.
Estrada distributed bags of groceries to residents in Baseco, Parola and Smokey Mountain before heading off to Damas, an orphanage cofounded by his mother which he helped rebuild in 1999 after it was razed by a fire.
Around 100 children, who also sang Christmas songs and danced in a 30-minute program, shared a meal of chicken and spaghetti with the former president. At one point, he stood up and joined the dancing children, a orphanage staffer said. Later on, Estrada handed out educational materials like pencils, notebooks and erasers.
“We are thankful that Estrada never fails to spend time with us every year. Thank you is not enough for his help in building the lives of these children,” Damas executive director Beth Florido told the Inquirer over the phone.
Lim, on the other hand, gave out cash gifts to senior citizens and persons with disabilities and toys to children during a two-hour visit to Hospicio de San Jose where he was abandoned as a baby by his mother.
Earlier, he heard Mass at the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish Church where churchgoers sang “happy birthday” and later had their pictures taken with him.
Lim then went on to conduct a gift-giving and medical mission before paying a visit to around 400 wards of Hospicio with a giant cake.
According to the mayor, he knows how orphans feel which is why he visits them on special occasions.