MANILA — The local city government here is gearing up for a 12-day distribution starting Friday (01 Dec 2023)  of “Christmas boxes” to Manila residents under the theme of “Christmas in Manila Gift Giving.”

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna Pangan (right) and Vice Mayor Yul Servo (left/featured photo) spearheaded the inspection of the 695,000 Christmas boxes at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila on Thursday (November 30, 2023).

The Manila LGU aims to kick off the distribution from December 1 to December 12, 2023, followed by an additional two days of dedicated distribution of 175,000 boxes specifically to senior citizens on December 13 and 14.

Lacuna emphasized that the Christmas boxes are designated for families and senior citizens within the City of Manila, with each barangay maintaining a prepared list of recipients.

In addition to the distribution of allowances to senior citizens, single parents, and persons with disabilities in the second week of December, Lacuna reassures that all residents covered by the 896 barangays in Manila will receive Christmas boxes.

The contents of these festive packages, including choco rolls, a thermos-insulated food container, nochebuena items, and more, were unveiled in a public presentation.

(Benjamin Cuaresma/AI/MNM)

Manila City Mayor Honey Lacuna has granted the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) an extension until November 15 to complete the necessary repairs for the Lagusnilad underpass, located just in front of Manila City Hall.

Atty. Princess Abante, Mayor Lacuna’s spokesperson, emphasized that the local government has allocated funds for the rehabilitation of Lagusnilad, which was originally the responsibility of the DPWH. However, the DPWH has not made significant progress in their efforts.

The city government of Manila allocated a substantial sum of P50 million for the project, while the DPWH’s contribution amounted to a smaller P25 million.

Abante reported that the local government has completed the rehabilitation of the portion assigned to them in September, whereas the DPWH has lagged in their responsibilities.

Mayor Lacuna has now set a final deadline of November 15 for the DPWH to complete all necessary work.

The renovation work at Lagusnilad commenced in early May with an initial target to open in September. Unfortunately, the ongoing work has led to severe traffic congestion, as the road remains impassable, forcing vehicles to seek alternative routes.

(Report by Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)