Pagkaka iba ng patronage politics at totoong governance.

Every Christmas, both Davao City and Pasig City give out holiday packs. But when and how they do it shows a sharp difference between patronage politics and real governance.

In Davao, Christmas packs linked to the Duterte family are usually given out on or right around Christmas itself, through large public gatherings. People travel to one place, line up for hours, and wait. Crowds can reach tens of thousands, while only around 10,000 to 15,000 packs are available per distribution. Some people receive help. Many don’t. The whole process is public and centered on the Duterte dynasty.

In Pasig, Christmas packs are distributed weeks before Christmas, not on the day itself. The city government delivers them house-to-house or by barangay schedule, based on a verified list of residents. Each household is entitled to one pack. This system reaches hundreds of thousands of families, roughly 300,000 to 360,000 households, quietly and systematically.

That timing matters. Giving packs before Christmas means families can plan ahead. They can stretch their budget, prepare food, and spend the actual holiday at home with less stress. 

On the other hand, giving packs on Christmas Day turns aid into a last-minute scramble, where people must choose between lining up for help or being with their families.

This highlights the real difference. Davao’s system makes people show up, wait, and hope on the holiday itself. Pasig’s system respects people’s time and dignity, treating help as something people receive in advance, not something they chase.

The verdict is clear as Christmas day. Pasig’s approach is far better. It is fairer, calmer, safer, and reaches vastly more people. Most importantly, it removes politics from the act of giving. You get help because you are a resident, not because you showed up early, endured the lines, or stood under the shadow of a political family.

In plain terms, Davao’s system feels like charity from the powerful, while Pasig’s system works like a right owed to citizens. And in a democracy, systems that end patronage and replace it with quiet, reliable public service are not just better. They are what good governance is supposed to look like.