MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has asked every agency to avoid lavish Christmas celebrations in solidarity with those who suffered through the six consecutive cyclones that slammed into the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, November 19, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. encouraged agencies to have a simple celebration.
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“This call is in solidarity with the millions of our countrymen who continue to grieve over lives, homes and livelihoods lost during the six typhoons that pummeled us in a span of less than a month,” Bersamin said.
“An official guidance in writing need no longer be issued because we believe in the kindness of our fellow government workers, whom we fully trust can unilaterally adopt austerity in their celebrations,” he added.
Any savings from trimming down on Christmas festivities should be donated to calamity-hit areas, Bersamin said.
While Christmas will still be celebrated, he emphasized the importance of sharing blessings during the season.
“On the part of the government, we will make sure that the Christmas spirit will be felt early by all the affected areas in the form of relief goods and assistance, of infrastructure rebuilt, and of livelihoods restored,” Bersamin said.
The country was hit by six consecutive storms since October, beginning from tropical cyclones Kristine, all the way to the recent Pepito.
While far from being some of the deadliest storms to ever hit the Philippines, the six cyclones left widespread damage to agriculture and infrastructure. Damage is estimated to be in the billions.
Most of the cyclones followed a similar path, cutting across or going around Luzon, leaving little time for recovery.
The six cyclones were so close in proximity that the government has merged its situational reports for some of them. Reports indicate that there are at least 160 people dead, with around 22 still missing.