Zamboanga City (December 18) -- The daily wage earners and even unemployed people now have reason to beam their brightest smile this Christmas season, as they await "Santa" to visit them with packages of goodies on hand.

Since December 13, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and some Cabinet members went around to "priority 1 and 2" provinces all over the country to distribute their "Pamaskong Handog" packages.

To date, poor residents in the provinces of Mt. Province, Daet, Cebu, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, and Agusan del Sur are among the first who have already received their bundles of joy from the President.

These bundles of joy vary from pamaskong handog sa mekaniko, masahista and estudyante which aims to train and enhance each of their capability through specific trainings such as for motorcycle and tricycle drivers; reflexology and massage techniques and high-impact trainings for work scholarship trainings for students, respectively.

Poor residents in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi will also receive their "pamasko" from the President on December 30.

Preparations for the activity are now underway, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) as the overall coordinators with the local government units supporting the activity.

Provision of more affordable food and services to the poor, especially at a time when prices are high, is the main reason the President set this pro-poor program.