The longest Christmas celebration in the world as far as majority knows is in the Philippines. Officially, Christmas celebrations and merriment starts on November 1 of each year, until the first Sunday of January, a good nine weeks or 56 days of Christmas festivity.

In fact, as early as the start of September, the first of the “ber” months, sound of Christmas carols trumpeting the coming of Christ already fill the airwaves. The spirit of Christmas which is very much alive in the country is the reason why the last months of the year are highlighted by the influx of tourists and balikbayans who come to have a feel of the Filipino Christmas spirit that cannot be found in their foreign abode. This is also the reason why the last quarter of the year is seen as the apex of the economic development. The upsurge in consumer, producer and business expenditures is brought about by, more than anything else, the increase in income in the last month of the year resulting in a chain reaction of several related indicators like demand, supply and investments.

It is customary among Filipinos regardless of religious affiliations to make Christmas a much-awaited celebration every year. In fact, we seem to have forgotten our prudent savings habit when Christmas unfolds. We throw all cautions to the wind as far as our spending pattern is concerned just to make our Christmas celebrations memorable and better than the previous one. As a result of these, savings become a strange word at this time of the year.

These circumstances bring the country benefits and disadvantages, depending on which side of the coin you are looking at. Benefit is in the sense that an added income means additional purchasing power for the people. Therefore, creating demand results in an additional investment for producers resulting in turn in an increase GNP in the last quarter of the year. The ultimate effect may be inflationary in nature, but who cares about inflation if you have the purchasing power to support it? In the first place, inflation and high prices are here to stay. It is as inevitable as taxes and death combined.

A controversial, sensitive, and divisive law
If there is one such bill or “law” that will be passed by both houses of Congress, it is the Reproductive Health “Law”. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Second Reading by a hairline. There are mounting concerns and apprehensions as regards the repercussions of such law, if ever passed. Both parties have points raised and these should be given due considerations if ever the law is passed. The anti-RH lawmakers may have drawn the line and writings on the wall are clear they will lose. But it should not treated as a setback but rather an indication that a lot more is to be done in order to educate the people on the nitty gritty of responsible parenthood…

Carnage like no other
If there is one tragedy that will go down in history as one of the most tragic and bizarre it is what transpired in Connecticut, USA. What happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School, moved people around the world because the victims were innocent schoolchildren who had done nothing against the world much less against the gunman himself. Twenty boys and girls, three to six years old, and their principal and teachers, were killed by a deranged 20- year old man who opened fire on them. This kind of horror sporadically happens in the United States, which is supposed to be the bulwark of democracy and the most technologically advanced country in the world. I hope we have seen the last of these horrors in our life.

Although our country have had several experiences of transgressions against life and property, we have never had endured the kind of horror in Connecticut in its highest form, where the victims of human cruelty were innocents whose consciousness had not yet been invaded by violence and anger.

Perhaps despite the rising incidence of criminality in our country, we can still feel safe in surmising that the cultural orientation of our people, to whom respect for elders and the duty to protect juveniles are paramount. Families would go out of their way and risks life and limbs just to provide a good future for their kids.

Year-end examination
PNoy is about to end his midterm as president of the Philippines. Normally, at year-end and prior to the New Year, we would try to examine ourselves and try to reminisce and sum-up the year that was. I think it’s about he and his Cabinet memebrs examined themselves on what they have done and what they still still need to do, and on what they have overdone and underdone.

These and a host of other self-examination processes should be carried out, if only to provide a certain scorecard and to see who should be held responsible and accountable for failures of governance that prevents the fulfillment of the Presidents desire for a progressive and morally upright nation.

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