With less than 30 days before Christmas, the Pasig City local government begun distributing Noche Buena gift packs to Pasigueño families on Saturday, Nov. 25, as part of its annual "pamaskong handog" holiday program.
The grocery packs for this year include Noche Buena items such as cans of condensed milk and fruit cocktail, packs of macaroni and spaghetti pasta; spaghetti sauce and mayonnaise, as well as sachets of Swiss Miss hot chocolate and canned chicken luncheon meat.
For the first day, gift bags were given to around 18,000 families in the first house-to-house rollout for portions in Barangay Pinagbuhatan Proper.
Distribution is ongoing on Sunday, Nov. 26 in the remaining areas in Pinagbuhatan Proper, along with Barangay Palatiw and some parts of Barangay Nagpayong.
So far, families living in condominiums are not yet included in the current distribution. Separate schedules are still being discussed by the distribution team with the condominium administrators.
The local government is aiming to distribute around 450,000 gift bags to all families in Pasig, inclusive of the pamaskong handog to city government employees, according to the city's Public Information Office (PIO).
The pamaskong handog was one of the prominent programs of incumbent Mayor Vico Sotto since he began his first term in 2019. Through the program, Sotto vowed to establish a culture of fairness in local governance wherein every Pasigueño will receive the government's services regardless of political leanings, class, or affiliations with seated officials.
He reminded the public that the gift pack distribution is being conducted to "show that it is possible to serve without politics," citing it as a "symbolic measure to dismantle patronage politics."
Aside from that, the mayor also noted the rollout as a helpful way to develop and strengthen data-driven governance in the city, specifically through the government census via the online PasigPass application.
Each family is required to present a single PasigPass QR code from their chosen representative to avail of the pamaskong handog. A proof of identity must also be prepared to ensure no false accounts are being used.
The PasigPass served as the QR code-based contact-tracing and monitoring tool during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Sotto remarked back in December 2022 that the PasigPass 2.0 is being developed to become the city's main online government services application.
When the new version becomes available to the public, the PasigPass can be used for business permit applications and government services registration. Residents can also report emergencies using the app, as well as integrate microchipping services for their pets.
Most important of all, Sotto stressed the importance of the pamaskong handog to uplift Pasigueño families. Through the gift packs, the local government seeks to help families have a bountiful holiday celebration.
The schedules for the pamaskong handog distribution per barangay will be posted everyday on the official Facebook page of the Pasig PIO.