Family Week 2003 an uncelebrated celebration

In 1992, a presidential decree was issued that made the last week of September the Family Week. Needless to say, Family Week is not even mentioned in media. Instead we get an overdose of Kris Aquino’s second tragic love affair. This happens with many of our national celebrations.

Another good example is the People’s Power Anniversary. People have to be hauled to the site. But no one stays because there is no real planned program to commemorate one of the greatest events in our history.

In contrast, the town fiestas that started way back during the Spanish times are always well-attended. This is because the whole community is part of the celebration. The old fiestas, to this day, are our finest community expressions.

Pope John XXIII defined the family as the first and essential cell of human existence. Pope Leo XIII added, "A society limited in numbers, but nevertheless a true society, anterior to every state or nation, with rights and duties of its own, wholly independent of the commonwealth."

In the past, the two greatest influences in every person’s life were his family and his schooling. That is where he acquired his values. That is no longer true today. Nowadays, the values of the current generation are assimilated from media, mainly radio and television. And sad to say, what modern media dispenses today generally has to do with only two themes – sex and violence. It is the family that can offset these bad influences because it is generally where the children are exposed to radio and television – right in their own homes. That is why Roger Bacon once said, "If I might control the literature of the household, I would guarantee the well-being of the church and state."

We suggest that next year, all schools have a program to commemorate Family Week. And we suggest that all families have their individual celebrations right at home. We would like to add, "And what we love is home." It is in the homes where the true strength of every nation lies. Christianity starts in one’s own home and the ultimate happiness is to be happy in one’s home.

Family Week should be a national celebration and the government should assign a body to study and determine just how family week should be commemorated in very home all over the country. Christianity cannot flourish unless it starts in one’s home and almost all criminals were products of unsympathetic homes. Our street children today, for instance, are the Holy Innocents of our times. We believe that a big portion of the stolen wealth recovered from Marcos should go to these present-day martyrs.

The plural of me is we and we starts at home. It is only when one feels happy at home that he can have friendly relations with his neighbors, classmates and officemates. And you only truly know a person if you know how he relates with his own family.

Our whole point is that we are for a Family Week, but it is better not to have one if it is just going to pass uncommemorated. The first basic rule for the celebration of Family Week is that it must be commemorated by the whole family. This is done during Christmas, birthdays and town fiestas. We hope we see this happen next year.