Vice President Sara Duterte arrived at the family’s ancestral home in Bangkal, Davao City on Thursday morning, 25 December.
Duterte flew to Davao City to celebrate Christmas with her family and personally oversee “Pahalipay sa Taal,” the Duterte family’s long-standing annual Christmas gift-giving tradition.
Photos released by the Office of the Vice President showed Duterte greeting attendees, posing for photos, and signing personal items during the event.
The Davao City Police Office said more than 2,000 police officers were deployed to ensure peace and order during the gift-giving activity. Authorities set up security barriers from the entrance of Central Park Subdivision leading to Taal Street, where the Duterte family’s ancestral home is located.
Organizers also installed a stage and a large tent near the residence, along with designated lanes for men and women and special lanes for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and senior citizens.
Duterte earlier said the family’s Christmas gift-giving tradition would continue despite the situation of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, over charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s war on drugs.
The Duterte family has sought the interim release of the former president, but the ICC rejected the request on 28 November 2025.