Barangay in Pasig distributes Christmas gifts

Pasig’s premier barangay is shelling out P450,000 more as additional cash gift to its 900 elderly residents on top of the P3,000 they received from the city government.

Barangay San Antonio (BSA) has 750 registered senior residents last year who also received cash gifts from the barangay. BSA is where Pasig City’s business district is located and plays host to 11,000 high-rise buildings.

BSA chairman Raymond Lising on Sunday said the cash gifts are distributed to the doorstep of each recipient to ensure their safety by minimizing their exposure to Covid-19 risk.

“We’ve started distributing the PHP500 Christmas cash gift of our senior citizens on Dec. 15 and we are targeting to distribute all the cash gifts in this week,” he said.

Lising said they respect recipients’ preference if they decide to personally pick up their gifts at the barangay hall provided that minimum health and safety protocols will be observed.

Based on the data of the barangay, most senior citizens in BSA have been inoculated against Covid-19, while there were only some who are not yet vaccinated due to “health reasons or personal beliefs.”

He said they opted to provide cash gifts instead of groceries for them to have the liberty to purchase what they want and need.

“By giving them cash gifts, we’re providing them freedom to buy what they need this Christmas season,” he said.

Lising said it is their little way of thanking senior citizens and making them feel special during the holiday season.

“Sa ating mga lolo at lola sa BSA, nawa ay maipadama natin ang diwa ng Pasko sa panahon ng pandemya. Patuloy pa din tayo sa pag-iingat dahil sa banta ng virus. Pero hindi hadlang ang virus para makapaghatid ng saya ang BSA sa ating mga senior citizens (We hope to share the spirit of Christmas to our grandpas and grandmas in BSA in our own little way amid the pandemic. The coronavirus won’t stop us from sharing some joy to our elderly residents,” he said.

Barangay officials also recently visited the Eastshine relocation site in Tanay, Rizal to personally distribute rice sacks to 185 relocated residents of BSA.