Holiday cheer instead of political jeer

Hopefully the politicians in our country will be more than generous this time of the year when the holiday spirit is very much in the air. With a major election coming up next year, we hope elected officials also see the Christmas Season as an opportunity to reach out to their constituents – and give more than the usual Christmas cards. Let’s cut out the banners, billboards and tarps greeting everyone “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” – with the names (if not the faces) of the pols and the other local executives. Save the money and give it out instead to meaningful charities.

While they may no longer have access to PDAF and the pork barrel, we’re sure a lot of politicians, especially those running for re-election this coming May – would still want to show their generosity and compassion especially to people in areas that were hit by natural calamities and disasters, the most recent of which was Typhoon Nona that prompted President Aquino to declare a state of national calamity owing to the devastation in several provinces that include Albay, Northern Samar, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon and Sorsogon, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija. Hopefully, the donations of food and relief goods will not be too “politicized” (meaning no labels bearing names of politicians) and distribution will be equal (no preferential treatment for barangays perceived as bailiwicks of certain political parties giving out the items).

A lot of local executives might have to work overtime touching base with their constituents, but since May 2016 is just around the corner, this is as good a time as any to go around visiting homes. A lot of them go to simbang gabi mass and attend the misa de gallo on the eve of Christmas. In fact, a lot of my friends have reported seeing politicians running for re-election whom you don’t normally see in church attending the simbang gabi. 

Both the Philippine government and the New People’s Army have declared a cessation of hostilities starting on the 23rd until Jan. 3 next year, and hopefully the armed rebels will honor this and stop harassing the soldiers who are sent out to pick up and deliver food and relief items to people in calamity stricken areas.

However, voters also want to see a ceasefire between rival political parties and candidates, even for the Christmas season. Instead of boxing gloves or cowboy hats and guns or even a “slap” suit (yes, there is such a thing), perhaps it would be better for rivals like Mar Roxas and Rodrigo Duterte to put on their Santa suits and show some holiday cheer instead of political jeer. 

Maybe Mar should go around the marketplace and see how the vendors and their customers are doing – all in keeping with the Mr. Palengke image he adopted way back in 2010. And since Duterte is eager to prove that he can mend his naughty ways and show that he is Mr. Nice, he can contemplate on the words of Pope Francis who said we should “ask the Lord for the wisdom to bite your tongue in time” to avoid saying something negative that could boomerang later on.

Christmas is the season of giving and this is not just confined to politicians but even companies and ordinary individuals doing what they can to help the less fortunate. I’m happy to see some of my businessmen friends and classmates banding together to undertake projects that are meant to help the poor and underprivileged, like Ateneo High School Batch 65 that spearheaded the establishment of the ADMU616569 Foundation that undertakes livelihood initiatives for Gawad Kalinga communities and school feeding programs for elementary school children in select underprivileged communities. This should not just be a one-time outreach activity but a continuing project.

Those who wish to “give not until it hurts but until it feels great” – to quote author and philanthropist Jenny Santi – can check out Catholic-run charitable institutions such as Caritas Manila, the lead non-profit organization in the country that provides social services and development programs for the poor and marginalized, focusing on education and poverty alleviation efforts. Caritas, which means “love in perfection” – targets more than half of the Metro Manila population that lives below the poverty line. With more than 35 percent of Filipinos still mired in poverty, organizations like Caritas definitely need all the financial support they can get.

Another noteworthy institution is the Margaretha Home for the Blind run by the Sisters of Christian Charity, which offers a safe haven for blind girls and women and provides them with educational opportunities to help make them become productive members of society. There is also CRIBS Philippines located at Industrial Valley in Marikina that serves as a home for abandoned and abused infants and children. CRIBS also helps facilitate the placement of children in foster homes and provides “new beginnings” for abused female minors, providing individual and group counseling sessions and other intervention programs to help victims recover and find healing from their traumatic experiences.

Christmas is very much a part of the Filipino way of life, but for the victims of calamities, it is hard to celebrate the season when they have no roof over their heads and the noche buena fare may just be cup noodles and a can of sardines or processed meat with bread and water to wash the food down with. However, the spirit of hope is strong among Filipinos, seen in their ability to focus on the positive rather than dwelling on the negative. Hopefully, there will be more of the giving rather than taking especially from politicians.

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