ALABEL, Sarangani — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is apparently trying to woo the provincial press, holding her first Christmas party ever with provincial reporters and their families from this province, as well as those in General Santos City and other neighboring areas.
She raffled off a refrigerator, colored television, video player, cellular phones and MP4 players during Thursday’s party at Isla Parilla, an upscale scenic resort of floating cottages owned by tuna tycoon Marfenio Y. Tan. Children were handed out paper handbags containing candies and toys.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza distributed KCC Mall gift certificates worth P1,000 each to local media practitioners after the President left for the municipal gymnasium to distribute rice, sardines and noodles to the thousands of poor people waiting.
The regional director of the Philippine Information Agency, Olivia Sudaria, read the names as Dureza handed the gift certificates, reporters who witnessed the gift-giving said.
A total of 114 gift certificates —worth P114,000 —was handed out purportedly representing the number who registered. But reporters who were present during the distribution said not all who stayed behind were given because at least 140 reportedly registered.
Some reporters had earlier left to cover the President’s gift-giving at the gymnasium.
President Arroyo, in a blazing red dress, arrived at the resort at 12:37 p.m., shaking hands with her guests before joining them for lunch of lechon (roasted pig), grilled tuna belly, fried chicken, among others.
At least two of the four lechon were donated by SMI mining firm but Dureza announced this only after lunch, said a reporter.
Veteran GenSan media practitioner Paul Bernandez said it was the first Christmas party ever that Malacañang hosted for reporters in the area since the time of ousted President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Arroyo neither issued any statement during her stay, nor was she interviewed by reporters, as earlier requested by Dureza, who said she was at the Christmas party only for “fellowship purposes.”
The President, however, gamely posed for photographs with the media workers and their families.
Dureza, himself a journalist in Davao City during his younger years, said the Palace wanted to “give importance to the local press to erase the perception that only the Manila-based media are superior.”
He said similar Christmas parties will be held in other parts of the country.
MindaNews asked Dureza through a text message if the gift certificates were a personal gift to the media, from the Office of the Press Secretary or from the Office of the President. As of noon Dec. 5, Dureza has not replied to the query.
Malacanang first hosted a Christmas party for members of the Malacanang Press Corps at the Palace on Dec. 1. A member of the Malacanang Press Corps told MindaNews the President raffled off three items — a refrigerator, a television set and a mobile phone. Reporters were given a gift pack of chocolates and choco-biscuits from the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
The press secretary did not distribute gift certificates, the Malacanang reporter said.
In last year’s Christmas, the source said, it was the usual: food, raffle. Then Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye did not distribute gift certificates.