As early as the break of dawn, Gov. Lilia G. Pineda was already on the road to Porac to personally hand over to the beneficiaries the assistance packages, followed by the same routine to Floridablanca, finishing it in Mabalacat City.
Mayor Condralito de la Cruz of Porac and Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales of Mabalacat City joined the governor in her sojourns, along with former Board Member Fritzie David-Dizon, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management executive officer Angie Blanco and to Provincial Social Welfare and Development officer Elizabeth Baybayan.
Baybayan said the distribution of food assistance packages to the indigenous tribes is a regular activity of the provincial government.
A separate food assistance program called “Aeta Day” is usually held also in the three local government units during the Yuletide season when the food packages include hams, hotdogs, and dressed chicken for the Christmas meal.
Far from the frenzied, happy queuing of Aetas young and old for the food packs in Mabalacat City, an Aeta from Marcos Village named “Ramen” expressed his thanks singing, silently, his own version of a television network‘s past Christmas station ID:
“Kaya tuwing Pasko, ang blessing ko’y si Nanay, thank you, thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo.”
Asked why he was already singing Christmas son at this early, he said “Basta dumating si Nanay dito, Pasko.”
– Bong Z. Lacson with Liezel Cayanan, Pampanga PIO
