President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Saturday said he is "very happy" to finally lead the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañang Palace after almost three years of stringent pandemic restrictions.

"So I'm very happy to have been able to do this Tree Lighting and it really is a different feeling dahil matagal na rin nating inantay 'to kahit 'yung nakaraang Pasko ay hindi pa tayo – medyo pigil pa," Marcos said.

"So tatlong taon na tayo hindi nakapag-Pasko na Pasko na kagaya ng Pasko ng Pilipino."

Marcos said celebrating Christmas in the Philippines is like no other.

"Dahil iba talaga ang pagdiriwang ng Pasko pag nasa Pilipinas ka. Wala ka nang makikita na kahit saan sa buong mundo na mas masaya na tao kapag nagka-Pasko at lalong lalo na para sa mga bata," he said.

Xmas for every kid

The President added that his administration has "done everything" to make sure that "every Filipino child has a Christmas."

"I always have believed that Christmas is really for the children and so we have made, done everything that we can to make sure that every child, every Filipino child has a Christmas," he said.

"And that is something that I think is a good goal for us this Christmas, since we have been blessed, all of us, despite all of the challenges we have faced, here we are, we have all been blessed."

Marcos will celebrate Christmas for the first time this year as the Philippine leader.

Following the Christmas tree lighting, a fireworks display was set off.

The President also conferred awards to winners of the nationwide parol-making competition.

The parols submitted for the competition, dubbed "Isang Bituin, Isang Mithiin", were hung on the giant Christmas tree in Malacañang.