MANILA, Philippines — The All Saints' and All Souls' holidays are a time for faith and healing in the face of uncertainty, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Monday in a release, adding they "remind us to strive, live Christ-centered lives, and fulfill our life's purpose until we meet our Creator."
The 'Undas' holidays are when many Filipinos traditionally remember their departed, with many traveling to their home provinces to do so. But a typhoon hit many provinces of the Philippines over the weekend, killing dozens, displacing thousands, and leaving many others stranded by flooding and by cancelled flights and ferries.
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"The pandemic of recent years forced us to come to terms with our mortality," the statement dated November 1 read.
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"It taught us to number our days as we realize the uncertainty of our time on Earth. It made us contemplate what it truly means to live a meaningful life and to die free of regrets and at peace with oneself," the president, who attended a disaster council briefing via teleconference on Saturday, said.
Marcos said that he hopes that the Christian remembrance of the saints and of late loved ones "will bring healing to our hearts" as the country navigates the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"May it likewise reinforce the foundations of our faith and compel us to live with love and compassion in all of our days."