DAVAO CITY – What can be more important than opening presents this holiday season is the love everyone wishes for their families, friends, and those who need it. Holiday season is best enjoyed when it is not centered on decorations and festivities but when love is at its core.

For the year 2022, Christmas and the incoming celebration of New Year are a lot livelier for many families in the first district after receiving their payout on the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) this month.

TUPAD is a community–based package of assistance that offers emergency service for displaced, underemployed, and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, not more than 30 days, depending on the nature of work.

First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte made sure that all beneficiaries in the first district, who can now physically get together and celebrate holidays with their families after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, get to celebrate Christmas and New Year blissfully.

Rep. Duterte’s office said thousands of families from 54 barangays in the first district benefitted from TUPAD cash assistance. The First Congressional District Office staff distributed the payout to the beneficiaries before Christmas.

Aside from the distribution of the TUPAD payout, the First Congressional District Office also had a gift-giving program earlier to 8,860 barangay functionaries in the first district. Rep. Duterte’s son Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II, led the gift-giving program by giving out Christmas presents.

Rep. Duterte’s office said the gift-giving program is to give everyone a Merry Christmas despite all the heavy responsibilities and challenges everyone went through from the previous years until recently.

“With everyone’s effort and cooperation, not only in my office, everyone will feel the happiness this holiday season brings,” Rep. Duterte said.