MANILA, Philippines - As the nation celebrates Christmas after numerous tragedies, the government and the people must be thankful to God “for filling up our lives with love, compassion, hope and faith that enable us to hurdle the manifold challenges in serving our country,†Malacañang reminded the people yesterday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the government is also grateful that they managed to remain “steadfast and determined†in pursuing the right path and promoting good governance.
The country’s leaders also said that this Christmas is very different for Filipinos, for they have sacrificed and become more united as a nation in helping their countrymen who have been affected by recent calamities.
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Filipinos have experienced a different Christmas this year because many of them have sacrificed to help the needy. They have given up holding lavish parties to donate the money intended for the celebration to the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. “Lavish parties have lost meaning, replaced by a surge of charity. Images from the nightmare typhoon are etched in our memory,†Villegas said in his Christmas message.
“This Christmas, let the reality of the birth of our Savior help us overcome despair and discouragement brought not only by calamities but also by the diverse challenges that confront us,†added Bishop Efraim Tendero, national director of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches.
For Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., this is “an opportune time to work on finding the true meaning of the Christmas season in each of our hearts – one which goes beyond gift-giving.â€
Sharing during Christmas is “not just of material gifts we have acquired, but of the talent and expertise we may be fortunate to possess so that others may rise up from tragedies and trials, and we can continue to grow and develop as one nation in dignity and pride,†he added.
For former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the recent calamities brought out compassion and fostered unity among Filipinos, which she said must continue to enable the nation to achieve peace and progress.
“Christmas this year comes on the heels of unfortunate incidents that tested our spirit and our faith, hope and charity. Yet, even before the debris of typhoon and temblor could be cleared, the world gushed with an outpouring of sympathy and assistance,†Arroyo said in a statement she issued from detention at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.
The calamities, she said, rekindled the Filipinos’ will to stand up against tough odds, their faith in one another, and God.
“As we strive toward a brighter tomorrow, may the generosity that moved us to help our less fortunate brethren remain in our hearts and bring us together as one Filipino nation, working as one for causes greater than ourselves,†Arroyo added.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, meanwhile, has called on Filipinos to keep Christmas and New Year celebrations simple, not only to show sensitivity to the plight of victims of calamities but also to reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season. – Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan, Rhodina Villanueva