President Duterte continued yesterday with his Christmas tradition to visit pediatric cancer patients in his hometown.
Duterte visited the patients at the House of Hope, a facility for children with cancer on Sunday evening. The care center is found at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SMPC) in Davao City.
In photos sent by Malacañang, Duterte was seen giving a gift to one of the pediatric cancer patients. He was also seen blessing one of them.
The President also shared a playful fist bump and struck his signature pose with some of the patients. He also planted a kiss on a patient, while he checked on some of them who were sleeping when he arrived.
In one of the photos uploaded by the Kids of Hope Facebook page showed Duterte flashing the trendy Korean “finger heart” while he shared a light moment with the patients.
The President also gave the patients food, cash, and toys.
Malacañang earlier said that resident Duterte will unlikely ship his tradition of visiting cancer-stricken kids in hospitals. During his first Christmas as President, Duterte visited the House of Hope where he gamely posed for selfies, talked with staff and patients, distributed gifts to children and even carried babies.
Last year, Duterte, minus the prying eyes of the media, visited several public hospitals and hospices in Manila where he extended financial assistance to institutions that primarily serve abandoned or indigent children.
The institutions Duterte visited last year were the Mary Johnston Hospital in Tondo, Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, and Hospicio de San Jose near Malacañang Palace.
According to Malacañang, the unannounced activities were part of the Duterte’s annual Christmas tradition that dates back when he was still mayor of Davao City.
It has been the President’s tradition during his stint in Davao to visit and distribute Christmas gifts to cancer-stricken children. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)