Avoid the cemeteries today and tomorrow

For more than 10 years, I have advocated that we avoid visiting the cemeteries on All Saints’ Day. With no significant improvement in the traffic situation in Metro Manila, with more vehicles on the road and no additional roads to handle the increasing load, and with toll rates already shooting sky high, it is sheer lunacy for all of us to head for the cemeteries to visit and honor our departed loved ones on this particular day.

There are some traditions worth observing; there are others that can and should be discarded because developments in our society, in our growing communities make the continued practice of such customs and traditions unwise, impractical and in some extremes, even dangerous.

It is not as though I am advocating that we stop visiting our loved ones. But perhaps, this trip can be saved for another day, a day of memories so that it truly means something special to be with them. This could be a birth or death anniversary, perhaps a wedding date, a day of particular importance for the family, or for that matter, any other day of the year aside from tomorrow. Most likely a few people would be around and your visit would be in an atmosphere of quiet dignity and attention instead of being in surroundings resembling a noisy and crowded marketplace full of vendors and hawkers.

A good example of our willingness to change holiday practices, although for different reasons, has to do with the celebration of Independence Day. For many years after the declaration of Philippine Independence in 1946, we marked the event every July 4. In 1963, President Diosdado Macapagal issued an executive order moving Independence Day to June 12 to commemorate the actual proclamation of Asia’s first Republic in 1898. From the balcony of his home in Kawit, Cavite, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence before an assembly of soldiers and prominent citizens of the province.

It was a dramatic break with the usual practice and was accepted by our people. Our colonial mentality would not allow us to completely set aside July 4 and, up to this day, it is designated as Philippine-American Friendship Day. Only Filipinos celebrate it. The Americans don’t even know it exists.

The All Souls’ Day tradition, which calls for us to head for the cemeteries in an act of remembrance and homage, dates back to the Spanish era and is part of Roman Catholic Church rituals that have stayed with us through the years.

Today, Roman Catholic Church services have changed. Slowly. And the days of obligation have been reduced to only three—New Year’s Day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and Christmas Day. Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day, is no longer one of them.

When I was an altar boy serving at Masses, we faced the altar along with the priest. Everything was in Latin. The music was always solemn. The Sacred Host used to be distributed only by priests. Today, laypersons assist in giving Holy Communion. The practice of cremation used to be prohibited by the Church, and was considered a mortal sin. Today the Church allows cremation mainly because of the growing scarcity of land for burial purposes. Instead of having to go to Mass on Sunday, we have the option of attending services on a Saturday. For the convenience of people, I might add. These are all signs that a tradition whose time has long since passed can be set aside.

We need some flexibility in our observance of All Souls’ Day. Out in the rural areas, perhaps there may not be too much of a problem. But in Metro Manila I can almost picture one big parking lot along the highways leading to the main cemeteries. It is possible that one would be spending four to five hours on the road (back and forth), even with the fielding of hundreds of policemen and Metro aides. The battle for limited parking spaces can lead to violent arguments and, in some instances, with fatal results.

Nothing is lost by moving your trip to the cemetery for another day, and you certainly do not dishonor the memory of loved ones by doing so. But if you still feel that you have to go, be ready, be prepared, and keep cool.

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Calling the attention of Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista!

Last June 13, the City Council approved Ordinance No. SP-2081 “AN ORDINANCE EXEMPTING ALL SENIOR CITIZENS OF QUEZON CITY FROM THE PAYMENT OF INITIAL RATE FOR PARKING FEES IN ESTABLISHMENTS, MALLS, HOSPITALS, PARKING AREAS OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR PLACES CHARGING THE SAME, SITUATED WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE CITY AND PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS THEREOF.”

On Aug. 10, you signed the ordinance and it took effect upon your approval.

Lately, some of our senior citizens have complained that SM Department Store has suspended implementation of the new ordinance on the ground that they are “upgrading their systems”—whatever that means.

Can any company simply suspend on their own the implementation of a duly approved city ordinance?

I personally decided to check things out and visited SM Cubao in the Araneta Center. Upon presentation of my senior citizen ID, the parking booth attendant told me, courteously and with a smile, that the privilege was being suspended temporarily by management. However, when I asked for her name, she immediately changed her line and proceeded to honor the senior citizen benefit.

The reason I asked for her name was that the ordinance’s IRR (implementing rules and regulations) states that “in case the cashier or the booth attendant violates the Ordinance, a penalty of imprisonment of one day to 30 days or a fine of Five Hundred Pesos or both shall be imposed.”

The IRR also states that in the event of repeated infractions by the operator, manager or owner, the revocation of the business permit for the space concerned could result.

Other establishments in Quezon City have complied religiously with the new ordinance.

For those who have called in to mention their experience with SM, my advice is to take note of the name of the booth attendant as well as other details of the incident.