The Christmas that we deserve
Christmas is one of the most important events in the lives of Filipinos. How has the pandemic changed the way it is celebrated?
The season of Christmas in the Philippines is truly unique and special. They say Christmas in the country is one of the longest celebrations for come September, people are on their way to buy Christmas decorations that won’t be kept away until late February. Christmas lights and lanterns light up the streets, carols of choirs echo through the neighborhood, and children knock on the doors of their godfathers and godmothers. All this, while the cold northeast monsoon gently brushes onto people’s skin as they finish the last Misa de Gallo and head out to buy bibingka and puto bumbong. Christmas in the Philippines is a truly merry and joyful season.
As Filipinos, it has been a part of our culture to share our food, to welcome people in our homes, and to keep our doors open to everyone who would want to share a moment of their Christmas with us. However, two years into the pandemic, circumstances drastically changed. In battling against a contagious disease, our inherent culture of openness, especially during Christmastime, must be momentarily stopped for the safety of everyone.
So how did we, as Filipinos, cope and adjust to these sudden turn of events without having to sacrifice the spirit of Christmas?
In pointing this out, we must recognize the role that various social media platforms and technologies played for us to stay connected and uphold the Filipino Christmas. Many of us bought Christmas decorations in online shops, conducted parties virtually through Zoom and Discord calls, and gave out cash gifts as ninongs and ninangs through GCash and online banks. We also utilized Facebook and YouTube to livestream children’s carols and holiday songs. With the help of technology we were able to showcase our creativity and resourcefulness in trying to celebrate a warm and heartfelt Christmas, despite the isolation that we are experiencing.
As we celebrate in relative comfort, however, we must not forget the precarious situation of our fellow Filipinos. Many are out of jobs, thousands of lives have been lost, and just recently, a typhoon ravaged many parts of Visayas and Mindanao. Looking at this from a critical perspective, this reflects the government’s failure to give us a proper and adequate response to the pandemic. Despite our creativity and resourcefulness in upholding the essence of the Filipino Christmas, this still does not address the root problems that a lot of us are experiencing. The lack of food, employment, security, and safety from the virus persists, and we barely see any effort from the government to help us through these hardships.
Since 2006, Pasig has celebrated its annual Christmas tradition called “Paskotitap” where Christmas lanterns light the whole city and a parade of floats is held. Since the pandemic happened, this tradition is yet to be seen again by the Pasigueños. This may have been former Pasig Mayor Bobby Eusebio’s main point as he criticized the local government of Pasig due to the lack of Christmas lights and lanterns in the streets, claiming that Christmas is not felt. Current Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto in reply, admitted that the perceived lack of Christmas decor is because of the decision of the local government to reallocate their budget towards the provision of food for the people of Pasig in time for Christmas. Mayor Sotto also emphasized that the project “Pamaskong Handog “by Pasig is what his constituents want, and that the LGU is working on ensuring that every household in Pasig receives a package. This is in contrast to before, when only those who are closely related to Pasig officials are the ones to receive such benefits..
Looking at how Pasig is working in making people feel Christmas during these dark times, it is important that we understand the spirit of Christmas in a different light and in different perspectives. Imagine seeing Christmas lanterns everywhere, decorations filling the roads and streets, yet when you go home, there is no food on the table, your mother is sick, and your father just got home from trying to look for a job. These are real-life events that people go through that we must consider. People are still suffering and struggling, yet we stand strong and we instead come up with ways to make ourselves feel the spirit of Christmas.
We recognize and acknowledge our fellow Filipinos who strive hard for their families, but we also acknowledge that we deserve better, and that the government can do better — a better pandemic response, more quality and accessible services, and most especially, good pro-people governance.
We may not celebrate Christmas the way that we used to, at least for now, but as we move past this, let us assess what this season really means for us Filipinos. Let us look beyond the cultural aspect of our celebrations and also look at the role that the government plays in ensuring that everyone truly experiences a merry and joyful Christmas.
