A meaningful Christmas

To be struck by disaster at any time is already traumatic; to experience it right before Christmas is to suffer the unkindest cut of all. For the victims and survivors of Tropical Storm “Sendong” in Mindanao, this is their cross to bear at present—having to mourn for loved ones lost and belongings devastated in the midst of a season associated in one’s bone with cheer and plenty everywhere, but especially in these parts, when the sight of holiday tinsel on the first days of October, or carols on the radio, is an inescapable reminder that the nation is once again about to ring in the longest, most spirited fiesta in its calendar.

“Magpapasko pa naman,” has been the refrain endlessly heard from weeping survivors, their shock and pain burrowing in ever more deeply, given the proximity of their affliction to the one season in the year officially dedicated to family togetherness, joyous feasting and collective hope. Also—of giving, of reflecting the generosity and beneficence of the Saviour’s coming through the exchange of gifts and the sharing of goodwill at this time of year. Nowhere, then, is Christmas as a time for compassion more meant to become palpable on the ground, rendered tangible and real, than today, in Sendong’s aftermath, with thousands of Filipinos in dire need of immediate succor from their countrymen.

Happily, so far, the help has been instantaneous and generous. A nation in the midst of holiday partying and consumerist excess—much of it oblivious to the approach of yet another storm that, this time, was said to be mercifully swinging lower than the recent typhoon “Pedring,” which had battered Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon—awakened to scenes of heart-wrenching death and destruction in the South. Suddenly, for many, that new bling, gadget or ritzy yearend holiday didn’t seem that important anymore, compared to being of help, in whatever small way one could, to fellow human beings in distress. The cash meant for expensive gifts began going instead to donation drives for Mindanao. Lavish parties were toned down, or canceled altogether. People trooped to supermarkets not only to buy food for their noche buena table, but also provisions to be sent to their afflicted countrymen—water, clothing, blankets, medicines, toys for displaced kids, ready-to-eat supplies. Organizations big and small set up relief operations, and anyone with a modem and a Facebook or Twitter account blasted pleas for help, real-time updates, pictures and stories online.

“Filipino Facebookdom, one of the biggest and most dynamic in the world, can also be a powerful force of compassion and solidarity,” writes US-based journalist Benjamin Pimentel. “It became one during the ‘Ondoy’ disaster two years ago. It is a force once again today as the nation reels from the Sendong tragedy. It’s been particularly heartening for those of us overseas… Years ago, we had to rely on e-mails, overseas newspapers, expatriate newscasts, or visitors from the homeland. Today, the information, the images, the video footage, the insights flow in real time. And so do our reactions. And our desire to help.”

It will take years for the victims to rebuild their lives, and they have the nation’s unconditional sympathies as they honor the memory of their lost kin and communities with lamentation or stoic sadness—whatever grace and dignity they can summon for strength in the face of sudden, immeasurable loss. For the rest of the nation, the usual holiday boisterousness can and should be able to wait; now is the time for empathy and kindness—the simple, no-frills kind that leads to a re-appreciation of what’s truly vital and meaningful in our shared lives.

It’s still a day before Christmas Day, but the truth is, Dec. 25 came early this year to many Filipinos—perhaps without their realizing it. It came on the weekend they first heard about what had happened to their brethren in Mindanao, and right then and there decided to pitch in and help. Terrible as it is, and without diminishing the grief and agony of its victims, Sendong has occasioned nothing less than a true season of giving, a Christmas restored to its meaningful roots. As Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and other afflicted parts of Mindanao pick up the pieces and struggle into the new year, may the country’s Yuletide spirit last even longer than usual.