MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is set to spend his first Christmas as the country’s chief executive not in the halls of Malacañang but in his hometown of Davao City.

On the afternoon of Saturday, Christmas Eve, Duterte is scheduled to visit cancer patients in the city. 

Palace Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the President would again open his home to the poor, a tradition he’s had since his stint as city mayor.

“Kung hindi po mabago iyong schedule ay magkakaroon po ng usual na visit ang ating Pangulo tuwing Christmas Eve dito po sa mga cancer patient sa Davao. Tapos usually binubuksan niya iyong kanyang tahanan, sa clubhouse, sa ating mga kababayan na mahihirap sa Davao City,” Andanar said in a radio interview on Friday, December 23.

(If the schedule won’t change, he would have his usual visit every Christmas Eve to the cancer patients in Davao. He would then open his home, the clubhouse, to poor Davaoeños.)

Andanar said Duterte will also be throwing a Christmas party for friends and family. His two families – the Zimmermanns and the Avanceñas – are residing in Davao City.

The President earlier hosted a Christmas party inside Malacañang Palace for staff and officials of the Office of the President and his Cabinet secretaries.

On Christmas week, Duterte signed the national budget – P3.35 trillion – the biggest so far by any administration. – Rappler.com