Unbreakable traditions

Traditions are really hard to break. People cannot simply be stopped from doing what they have been accustomed to do over the years. One of them is the way of saying goodbye to the end of the year and of welcoming the New Year at the stroke of midnight every Dec. 31. All sorts of noises are made especially by exploding firecrackers and lighting fireworks or other pyrotechnics.

To be sure such practice is not bad per se. Based on folklores and legends, noise making to welcome the New Year is a way of driving the evil spirits and getting rid of the bad luck, misfortunes and calamities happening in the past so they won’t occur anymore in the coming years. The louder the noise the farther will they be driven away.

Hence, despite safety precautions and warnings, the casualties and damages during the New Year celebration remain high or even continue to rise. This is further aggravated by the indiscriminate firing of guns by civilians and even policemen at the height of the merry making. Because of these alarming developments, Congress enacted R.A. 7169 prohibiting the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of dangerous fireworks and other pyrotechnics. Stern warnings are issued to violators. But it seems that like other laws, this law is more honored in breach than in observance especially during the New Year’s Eve celebration when our law enforcers are looking the other way.

Perhaps it is really hard to break a tradition by the sweeping stroke of the legislative pen and the tentative reaches of the short arm of the law enforcers. It will be better for all of us to look beyond the purely human and vain reasons behind the noisy celebration that is primarily based on folklore and legends. We can start looking at the event more from the spiritual point of view and see that New Year’s Eve is the seventh day in the octave of Christmas, the last day of the calendar year when we commemorate the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus; of Jesus becoming man as “the Word made flesh”. Then the following day, the first day of the year, we commemorate Mother Mary becoming the mother of God whose “yes” to God the Father is the reason why we have Christmas. So we should focus our minds and hearts on the immortal messages of Christ’s birth and the many blessings we have received from Him as we enter into another year.

The year 2019 really seems to be longer lasting, especially to the victims of the natural calamities and disasters particularly the severe earthquake in Mindanao, Samar and Cagayan – Isabela region that wrought serious damages and loss of lives. There are also the perennial typhoons leaving many people homeless. Nature’s wrath is really quite intense and the major part of the blame belongs to us because we have not taken good care of the environment and we remain unprepared for such calamities despite being located within the “typhoon belt”. So as usual we will end the year and begin 2020 with a prevailing mood that we are “glad it’s all over”.

 But Filipinos are optimistic people. They always find enough reasons to be thankful for the year that will end, and to be hopeful for the year about to begin despite the many setbacks, ordeals and tragedies happening to them. Apparently this trait is borne out of their strong faith that “in everything God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called according to his plan” (Romans 8:28). We can always cope with hardships and endure difficulties because “God allows those things to happen to draw out the good from them”; “Everything is for the good” (St Josemaria Escriva).

“Everything is for the good” may indeed be the appropriate slogan we need during these times of the year. But the good in everything takes place only if and when we act to prevent the recurrence of evil or wrong happening around us. Some concrete measures should be adopted so that we can sustain this cheerful and hopeful outlook.

We should improve our disaster preparedness. People should heed the more accurate and sophisticated storm tracker and early warning device especially those in the path of destructive storms to seek shelter in a safer place before the calamities occur.

Then it is also about time that our government should tap experts to build typhoon resistant shelters to replace houses easily blown or washed away by typhoons. Permanent relocation of informal settlers in danger zones must also be undertaken.

Of course an honest to goodness, lasting and effective environmental protection program must be drawn up. Lip service and press releases calling for investigations after every calamity are not enough. Concrete steps must be undertaken after the investigations.

Finally, this administration should give equal attention to the peace and order problem aside from fighting graft and corruption and dangerous drugs. For, it is only when we have lasting   peace can we have real prosperity.

Happy new year with abundant blessings to all!