Forego holiday parties to give more to survivors

“It takes somebody to help somebody.” I don’t know if it is proper to have fun and spend money for parties this Christmas season after the devastating Supertyphoon “Yolanda” razed thousands of entire villages and communities, and left hundreds of thousands of our countrymen homeless and more than 5,000 others dead.

How can we ignore the pain they are going through over the loss of loved ones and precious, irreplaceable belongings? This after the psychological and emotional torture they suffered during the dreadful hours Yolanda was on a rampage, unleashing all its fury and might on every human being, animal, plant and property that lay on its path, thus leaving behind a large, unprecedented swath of death and destruction.

I could see the anguish on the faces of survivors tearfully narrating their agony on TV. Incongruous it would be to celebrate, eat, drink and be merry,  knowing that hundreds of thousands of people  in central Philippines are struggling to eke out a living  through extremely miserable conditions and at this point without outside help can’t do anything much to survive and keep their dignity intact.

Isn’t it only proper then if we refrain from holding Christmas parties and instead spend the money for such celebrations to help the victims who are in most need of our generosity? This should be no sacrifice. Neither is it an obligation for this is not something we are compelled to do. Considering the hell they went through, this should be an act of kindness. And this we are doing more on the notion that by serving our fellowmen we are also serving our Father in heaven. This thought we all should bear in mind and learn to live by. This thought should bring us all together into His fold, not just as one nation but as one Universal Family. “It needs somebody to love somebody,” you know.

—JUNE CULAJARA,

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