Valenzuela gov't starts yearly early Christmas gift drive for seniors
By Hannah Nicol
The Valenzuela City government has started its yearly “Pasko sa Hulyo para kay Lolo at Lola” program, benefiting 75,067 registered senior citizens in the city.
Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian, together with members of the City Council, led the launch of the 2026 distribution on Tuesday, July 15.
Under the program, each registered senior citizen will receive a 10-kilogram sack of rice as an early Christmas gift from the city government.
The city said the program, which started in 2017, has become one of Valenzuela’s annual initiatives for senior citizens and serves as a gesture of gratitude for their contributions to the community.
The rice distributed under the program was procured from the Nagkakaisang Magsasaka ng Isabela Agriculture Cooperative in Isabela province, which the city said also helps support farmers in Northern Luzon.
The distribution will be conducted from July 15 to 18 in designated venues covering 19 barangays.
Senior citizens from the remaining 14 barangays will receive their gift packs through house-to-house distribution starting July 20.
The city government said the arrangement will help ensure that senior citizens who may have difficulty traveling can still receive their gift packs.
Eligible beneficiaries must be registered with the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs on or before April 30, 2026.
They were advised to follow the schedule indicated in the vouchers delivered to their homes and present their OSCA ID and voucher when claiming.
Those who cannot personally claim their gift packs may authorize a representative, who must present the beneficiary’s voucher, the senior citizen’s OSCA ID, and the representative’s valid government-issued ID.
The city government said the program reflects its continuing commitment to a caring and inclusive community for every Pamilyang Valenzuelano.