Fr. Leo Pabayo
THREE years ago, during the inauguration of newly elected Mayor Moreno, I heard someone near me say “Tulo ra na ka pistahan.” The man was obviously from the camp of Mayor Emano. He meant that new mayor then would serve for only three years and then he will be unseated. It struck me that he spoke of these three years as “Tulo ra na ka pistahan.” It revealed something to me of this man’s way of thinking and about our Filipino culture that mold our way of thinking, particularly about our Bisayan way of speaking.
The man regarded the time that the new mayor will serve in terms of the fiesta. “Tulo ra na ka pistahan.” His words show that the fiesta has become very much a part of his way of thinking. It also shows his concept of time. These two are I think very much part of our Filipino culture.
Time has meaning for us because it reminds us of a significant experience in our life. We are similar with other cultures in this regard. We are familiar with the expression “I had a great time” or “We had the time of our life” or “It was a defining moment in my life.”
A fiesta is an activity or celebration that we, Filipino Christians find most meaningful and a source of happiness. This began at some moment in the life of our Christian communities that has now become deeply etched in our common memory.
The Muslims and the other religious denominations or groups in the country have their own religious memory that they cherish and influence the way they think and give value to their experience. These have also become part of the memory of our nation.
As for the Muslims, who make up a very large non-Christian religious group in the country, our national leaders make sure that they have the opportunity to memorialize and celebrate great moments in the history of their religion.
The fiesta has become very much a part of most Filipinos. We consider the celebration of a fiesta so important that some people would spend much of their savings to celebrate a fiesta.
Many years ago Raul Manglapus wrote critically about our giving too much importance to the celebration of a fiesta. I think that on the matter of the fiesta Manglapus failed to understand the mind of the Filipino. He was very critical of the lavish celebration of a fiesta. He would prefer that Filipino families save their earnings rather than spend it in a lavish celebration of a fiesta.
Manglapus would have been right if life is mainly about becoming economically self-sufficient. But life is more than that. Life is mainly about love and being happy. We Christians particularly live by the tenet, “You shall love God will all your mind, all year heart and all your soul and you shalt love your neighbor as yourself.”
Scrimping does not necessarily bring about prosperity. Very often it is when one is prodigal in spending for others out of love that blessings come back in abundance. The blessings may not be in terms of monetary gain but something better. That something better is the good will that it generates. When good will is generated prosperity is not far behind.
But most important of all, generous spending for others can lead to the discovery that happiness is found in sharing with others what one has gained. Our problem is not that the ordinary Filipino “waste” their savings in a lavish celebration of a fiesta. Our problem is mainly that those who have amassed wealth have failed to be just to those who have less in life.
In the Parable of the Talents, the concept of talent refers to the spiritual and material gifts that God blessed us with when he created us. One of the spiritual gifts is the spirit of generosity.
It is how we use these gifts that matters. If we use these well they will produce more material and spiritual blessings for us and make us happy. As the Master said in the Parable of the Talents, “Welcome good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with little things I shall place you in charge of with greater. Come and join your Master’s happiness.” (Matthew 25:22-23)
The Parable of the Talents praises generosity and condemns the scrooge mentality.
To connect this with the political drama that is developing in our country today, our question as voters ought to be this: Will whoever win in the 2016 election do justice to us, particularly the poor, and give us what is rightfully ours and not steal them and thus enable us to celebrate the many blessings we receive from God like what we do in a fiesta?
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
