Manila City Hall hands out Christmas gifts

THE city government of Manila on Friday started handing out Christmas gift boxes to 695,000 households and 175,000 senior citizens in the city.

Mayor Maria Sheila Lacuna-Pangan said the distribution of the gift boxes will be done from December 1-12, twice in the morning and in the afternoon, covering four districts per day.

The distribution of financial assistance to 184,000 senior citizens, 33,216 solo parents and 17,204 persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Manila also started Friday.

Mayor Maria Sheila Lacuna-Pangan. Photo from Manila Public Information Office Facebook

Lacuna also announced that a Grand Bazaar will be held at the Mehan Garden from December 11 to January 1 from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

In a related development, the Manila Police will deploy 703 officers in 52 places of worship during dawn masses that start on December 16.

Close to 1,000 police personnel will be assigned to major streets; 302 to transportation hubs and terminals; 537 to commercial areas; and 848 in other places where big crowds will converge during the Christmas season.

The city government will also designate additional parking spaces, especially in the areas of Divisoria, Quiapo, Rizal Ave., Blumentritt, Tutuban and Recto, aside from markets and shopping malls.

«We are always ready for the influx of tourists every holiday seasons in Manila. What we did is we posted several advisories and warnings in our pages for the public. Secondly, if you notice, we have designated public address systems in different areas, particularly in Quiapo, Divisoria and Blumentritt so people can easily report any untoward incidents,» MPD District Arnold Thomas Commander said during a forum Tuesday.