Without taking anything away from Filipinos’ considerable skills in hospitality, my honest observation is that we, as a people, are not generally united in showing the genuine spirit of Christmas. Filipinos from the Middle East to the Americas, and from Asia back to their mother country the Philippines, are hell-bent on celebrating the season for three reasons: extra money, time to celebrate, and some sort of pressure to prove to their kapitbahay (neighbor) that it is “Pasko, not paksiw (usually fish or meat cooked in vinegar, garlic, and salt).”
Traditional politicians or “trapos” make matters worse. They love to give practically any Christmas “gift” they can pack because the voter-recipient would know who the “giver” is as the so-called “epal” politician’s name is written on it.
We act weird during “ber” months. What gives? That Christ is born gives birth to new opportunities for businessmen and businessmen-cum-politicians – plus the fact that many consider politics as business.
We get extra money from the 13th-month pay and other yearend perks, we spend a long time – a four-month countdown to December 25, the rush to it, and schoolchildren and teachers’ Christmas vacation in a week or two, even as many of our nurses, doctors, and other frontline workers have none – and the burden of proof on the part of merrymakers to make sure there is much, much more food on the table, rather than merely paksiw. From the old generation to Baby Boomers, Gen X, Y, and Z, lavish midnight feasts Noche Buena and Media Noche have been steeped in cultural significance. All I can say is that if all this is cultural, why not follow what is biblical? Cultural Christianity is getting a lot of attention these days because of its being more social and less spiritual.
We should not elect trapos but rather empower vulnerable Filipinos so that they will not be taken advantage of and be willing to sell their votes for survival in a few hours or days, and not in their Christmas time.
Reflecting on their hard-earned money, time, and burden, Mona Carreon and Tin Constantino who are two of the most kind-hearted in my circles of friends are smart enough to rally their respective groups and share blessings individually and collectively. Celebrating Christmas this way and related gestures add meaning to the season. And think about a Vienna-based Filipina’s generous heart for five unmarried couples. She sponsored the wedding of the ten to the delight of their sons and daughters weeks before Christmas 2022. It is the joy of giving and the giving of joy without expecting anything in return. God himself gave His Son Jesus Christ who served and equally gave his life as a ransom for many; therefore, we should allow our hearts to be directed to where they should go:
Give.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar serves as a member of the steering committee of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He was part of National University’s community extension project that imparted the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities in a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with a master’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños. He recently defended a dissertation proposal for his doctorate degree in communication at the same graduate school under a Philippine government scholarship grant. He was editor-in-chief of his high school paper Ang Ugat and the Adamson News.
