PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte celebrated Tuesday his 72nd birthday in his home in Davao City.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said he is not particular on the President's plan for his birthday celebration but stressed that it is usually a "very quiet affair with family and friends."

"Very simple. Something that suits his personality," Abella said, when asked how the President spends his day as he turns 72.

Photos from Manases Carpio, his son-in-law and husband of Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, showed that the Chief Executive spent his birthday with his grandchildren, including his newest grandson, Marko Digong "Stonefish" Duterte Carpio.

Earlier, Duterte said he would be "very glad" to spend his birthday with family.

The President's grandchildren who were seen in the photo were Sara and Manases' chidren Shark, Stingray, and Stonefish; Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte's children Uno and Sabina; and Sebastian's children Bella and Yair.

Duterte's youngest child Veronica was also seen hugging and leaning her head to her father's shoulder.

Donning white tee shirt and shorts, Duterte seemed to have just woken up as he got surprised visit from his grandchildren.

Duterte earlier wished to have more time and strength to address the country's problems.

He also wished that the Filipino people understand his policy-making.

“I only ask God to give me a little bit more time, a little strength to surmount the problems of the country, and that I’d be able to not really to solve but maybe mitigate some of the rigors of governance,” Duterte said last week.

“I only ask for God’s help and more or less understanding [from the public, that] people will understand what we are doing. I am really not ultra [man] but we just have to deal with the problems,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)