Thousands flock to Duterte’s ancestral house in Davao City for yearly gifts

People swarm the streets leading to the house where President Duterte grew up in a subdivision in Bangkal. PHOTO by GERMELINA LACORTE

DAVAO CITY—Thousands of people swarm the road leading to the ancestral house of President Duterte for the yearly pinaskuhan (gift-giving) here. People lined up the road as early as 4 pm on Christmas Eve, spending the night in a cordoned part of the road inside Central Park subdivision.

But towards dawn break and early morning hours, more people came, filling not only a kilometer and a half stretch of street from the subdivision to the national highway but also spilling out to another kilometer and a half stretch of the highway from the subdivision gate up to the Ulas Bridge.

Aida Jajaadin, 66, came as early as 10 pm Tuesday night, with a neighbor and other family members. A former overseas Filipino worker, she said it had always been her family’s tradition to come here on Christmas to be part of the gift-giving ever since President Duterte had been mayor in this city.

“Before, they used to have really good gifts, which they give to those who would win the raffles. Some could win a refrigerator, a TV set, and the like. But when, I started joining it in 2013, there were more people. Before, we used to get five kilos of rice, now it’s down to two kilos and some canned goods . That’s because before, they were only giving it out to people in Davao City only,” she said. “But after he became president, people from other provinces also come.”

The Davao police auxiliary said at least 40,000 packs–composed of rice and canned goods–have been prepared for the crowd but the number did l not include yet the children under 18 years old who were being dragged there by their parents. Some policemen estimate the crowd to reach more than 60,000, if the young people were included.

Police, however, were closely watching some people who already received then gifts but who kept coming back for more.

Nila Bongonon, 62, a Blaan, showed her violet hands and those of her 73-year old father after they were made to dip these into a pail of liquid as soon as they received the gifts. “Just like election time,” Bongonon said.

Nor en Andie, 31, who went to the gathering for the first time, said she endured the long line and some people elbowing their way and cutting through the line. Aside from the two kilos of rice, each person also received several canned goods, P150 cash and some gift certificates. Germelina Lacorte