Celso spreads cheers to orphans, elderly
Barely five days before Christmas, Mayor Celso Lobregat on Sunday made the rounds of the different orphanage centers and Home for the Elderly for his traditional gift-giving to the wards, social workers and staff.
Mayor Lobregat started the day with close to 100 wards and staff of the Home for the Elderly in barangay Talon-Talon and gave them three sacks of rice, assorted canned goods, noodles, toiletries, pampers, fruits and food packs and other goods.
The distribution of Christmas gifts and get-together with the elderly was held at the mess hall which is currently undergoing repair, courtesy of the city government through Mayor Lobregat.
Shortly, Lobregat together with Councilors Rudy Lim and Nonong Guingona proceeded to the Reception and Study Center for Children, also in Talon-Talon, where a similar activity was held, benefiting 65 abandoned children and 20 staff.
Also with the mayor were City Social Welfare and Development Officer Francisco Barredo and staff, Executive Assistant Percival Ramos, Josephine Pareja and VP Elago, who were later joined by Councilor Jimmy Cabato and Noning Biel.
Lobregat and his entourage then motored to barangay Pasonanca for yet another gift-giving, this time at the St. Francis House with 108 wards and staff.
At noon time, the mayor and party dropped in at the Zamboanga City Police Office to grace the Christmas party of “Zamboanga’s Finest” led by city police director Sr. Supt. Amador Corpus. He shared some major raffle prizes and cash.
From the police station, the chief executive rushed to city government’s Social Development Center and Women Crisis Center in Sta. Barbara where he distributed gifts to 75 children and 36 adult women.
Lobregat visits these orphanage centers for gift-giving during his birthday (April 26) and Christmas season, a tradition he started since joining politics in 1998. (Vic Larato)