DAVAO CITY—The City Social Services and Development Office has started to serve the first wave of lumad or indigenous people that have arrived in the city for Christmas.
As of Monday, the city has hosted 2,874 lumad families or around 5,000 individuals in seven different shelters. They will be provided with food, medicine, and other services until December 10, CSSDO chief Malou Bermudo said.
Among the first arrivals are 1,255 children and 47 pregnant women, five persons with disabilities, and 72 senior citizens, but these lumad “are far lesser in number compared to last year,” Bermudo said.
“Around this time last year, we were already hosting around 5,000 families of lumad. The number went down this year because we are bringing Christmas to their communities,” she added.
Every December, thousands of lumad would travel to the city from the hinterlands of Davao’s Paquibato, Marilog, and Calinan districts and the provinces of Davao del Norte, North Cotabato, Bukidnon, Agusan, and even Surigao.
The local government’s shelters are located at Riverside in Calinan, Bunawan, Buhangin, Agdao, Shanghai in Toril, Tugbok, and Bankerohan. The lumad usually leave the shelters early in the morning to roam the city and ask for “pinaskuhan” or gifts in exchange for songs and dances.
In Buhangin, CSSDO District Head Norman Baloro said almost a thousand lumad are being taken care of 24/7, with personnel from the City Health Office on standby.
“Most of them leave the shelter area at around 8 in the morning. Depending on a pre-arranged schedule of activities, such as gift-giving events by private groups, they come back early. But usually, they start returning late in the afternoon,” Baloro said.
The Bankerohan shelter also hosts around 687 lumad families.
Bermudo said the lumads from Davao City areas will be asked to return to their communities starting December 7 for them to enjoy the activities prepared for them by the city government. Those who came from elsewhere will continue to receive services.
Mayor Sara Duterte has ordered CSSDO to conduct Pasko Fiesta activities in tribal communities from December 7 to December 21.
The activities include a trade fair that will showcase indigenous products, amass wedding, birth registrations, health day, children’s day, tribal games, and cultural shows.
City administrator Zuleika Lopez said this year’s Pasko Fiesta celebration is designed to “make everybody happy” — especially the lumad and their children.
