BAGUIO CITY — The Yuletide season brought good tidings to a Baguio City mother.

Teresa Mapanao gave birth to a baby boy at Baguio General Hospital past 12 midnight on December 25.

Besides having the baby, whom she named Jacob, Mapanao was also chosen by the city government as the recipient of its annual tradition of giving gifts to Christmas babies.

"Noong (December) 22 parang lumalabas na siya, tapos nataon naman na midnight ng 25 siya lumabas," she said.

(I thought I was going to have her on the 22nd, but she came out on the midnight of 25 so the timing was perfect.)

The family received baby clothes, food and money. Mapanao said she appreciates the city's gesture because she and her husband can't afford to buy baby Jacob gifts.

Mapanao is a stay-at-home mother and her husband is a construction worker. Jacob is their sixth child.

The gift-giving activity is part of the city's month-long Christmas celebration called "Silahis ng Pasko."

"We have seen the importance of the birth of Christ through these babies," city social welfare officer Betty Fangasan said.

The city will also choose a New Year baby for 2017.