Families prepare for ‘pre-pandemic’ Christmas eve celebration

Published December 23, 2022, 9:49 AM

by Christina Hermoso

With the ease in Covid-19 restrictions and with more people vaccinated against the coronavirus, age-old Christmas Eve traditions that have been passed on from one generation to the other will, once again, be observed around the country as the nation celebrates Christmas Eve on Saturday, Dec. 24.

Christmas Eve (Facebook)

Many families will observe a pre-pandemic celebration this year marked by reunions, gatherings, and the traditional Noche Buena feast. 

Many will also be physically attending the Misa de Gallo (Christmas Eve Mass), the culmination of the nine-day ‘Simbang Gabi’ novena masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary that began last Dec. 16. It will be celebrated in all Catholic churches shortly before midnight or earlier in some parishes.

In some churches, the Eucharistic celebration will be marked with the reenactment of the journey of Saint Joseph and the Blessed Mother in search of lodging for the soon-to-be-born Messiah.

The religious play, which was patterned after the Spanish “Las Posadas,” is known as “panunuluyan,” “pananawagan,” or “pananapatan.” Churchgoers excitedly await the play as it serves as a ‘reenactment’ of the events surrounding the Birth of Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago.

Church rites during the holy mass on Dec. 24 will include the lighting of the white center candle – the Christ candle -in the Advent wreath to herald the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Belen will also finally be complete with the addition of the Baby Jesus, which has been conspicuously missing in some manger since it was set up. 

The Christmas Eve Mass is traditionally held at midnight following the belief that Jesus was born at night (Luke 2:6-8). This is also reflected in reference to Christmas Eve as the Holy Night, or “Heilige Nacht” in German, and Good Night, which is Noche Buena in Spanish, and in widely popular Christmas songs like Silent Night and Oh, Holy Night.

After the midnight mass, families will once again gather after missing it for the last two years for the Noche Buena, the traditional Christmas Eve feast where popular holiday fares and Filipino favorites are served.

The feast is in part in thanksgiving for the blessings of the current year while prayerfully anticipating a better year ahead for the family. Gifts are usually opened after the festive dinner while children excitedly await their surprises from “Santa Claus.”

The Christmas season liturgically begins on Christmas Eve and lasts through the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January.

DOT targets 4.8 million foreign visitors in 2023

by Jun Marcos Tadios

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing to surpass this year’s foreign tourist arrivals as it continues to launch various programs to strengthen the local tourism industry,

For 2023, the DOT said it is targeting 4.8 million foreign visitors, which is double than 2022 arrival which is now at 2.46 million, according to DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.

She said the Department is eyeing 2023 projections with full optimism, as the industry is on a spiking trajectory in terms of progress. 

The DOT had initially projected 1.7 million tourist arrivals this year, but the actual count recorded 2.46 million as of Tuesday, Dec. 19.

The United States emerged as the country’s top tourist market with 461,967 visitors, followed by South Korea (387,780), Australia (122,971), Canada (112,015), the United Kingdom (93,440), Japan (91,557), Singapore (50,964), India (49,330), Malaysia (44,357), and Vietnam (37,028).

The Tourism chief stressed that the Department would close the year with a promising trajectory of 2.5 million visitor arrivals accounting to close to 30 percent of the industry’s pre-pandemic arrivals data when the Philippines recorded 8.3 million arrivals in 2019.

Thus, she said, “is a far cry from the 164,000 recorded in 2021.” 

Frasco added the new projections are made with consideration of factors that are beyond the control of the Department, such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, rising fuel prices, inflation, and the continued lockdowns in China which, for the longest time, has been the top tourist market of the Philippines.

“We look at it with optimism in a sense that our goal is to exceed our conservative projections in the same way that we have been able to exceed it this year,” Frasco said.

“And we feel that we would be able to exceed our pre-pandemic numbers way earlier than the 2025 year that was told to us when we assumed office with the improved policies under the Marcos administration,” she added.

Ranked third

Frasco welcomed the PUBLiCUS Asia survey result which placed the tourism agency third in government agencies with the highest approval ratings nationwide.

The survey, conducted between Nov. 25 to 30, likewise ranked the DOT 8th in terms of trust rating from the public.

“We are grateful for the Filipino people’s positive response and support for the work we have done in the past 6 months to usher in the recovery of the tourism industry,” said Frasco.

“We are optimistic that just as we have greatly exceeded our targets this year, 2023 will usher in more record-breaking numbers, translating to more livelihood and employment opportunities for our fellow Filipinos. We are thankful for our continued partnership and collaboration with the hardworking men and women of the Philippine tourism industry from the public and private sectors across the country,” she added.

Priority goals

Meanwhile, Frasco announced their priority goals for next year, which include stronger collaboration with national government agencies and local government units (LGUs) in developing the country’s tourism portfolio and exemplifying the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE).

This will highlight the training of 100,000 tourism workers, the highest record set by far for the industry, according to the secretary.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, Frasco signed a formal partnership with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to enhance the overall tourist experience at the established tourist centers around the country.

The partnership, she noted, would provide improved internet connectivity in at least 94 destinations all over the country, and more digitalized tourism services.

Frasco said the goal is to make travel seamless for all types of travelers, thus, the launching of the E-arrival pass together with the DOT, DICT, BI, BOQ, and DOH which integrates all the requirements of five government agencies into one platform.

“It makes travel as convenient as possible for any Filipino or tourist coming into the country by removing any barriers that would otherwise dissuade tourists from coming into the Philippines,” she said.

The DOT also launched two of its newest tourism programs which include the Philippine Travel Experience which would give tourists a window to discover the country’s tourism gems; and the “Bisita, Be My Guest Program”, wherein the DOT is giving away condominium units, cars, and other amenity packages for returning Filipinos who can bring home in acquaintances, friends and family members to the country.

PH tourism competitiveness

The DOT has also laid the groundwork for the Philippines to be more tourism-competitive in Asia and the world through the establishment of one-stop-shop tourist centers called Tourist Rest Areas (TRA) in 10 strategic locations across the country which are: Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon; Samal Island in Davao del Norte; Baguio in the Cordilleras; Dauis in Bohol; Saud in Ilocos Norte; and Carcar, Carmen, Medellin, and Moalboal in Cebu, and in January 2023, in Roxas in Palawan.

“Aside from diversifying our products in arts and film tourism, we are also developing the country’s existing tourism products including dive and marine sports tourism, education, health, and cruise tourism, food and gastronomy tourism, culture and heritage tourism, MICE tourism and halal tourism,” Frasco said.

The secretary said she will also ensure the continuity of her listening tours, which have proven to help gather the most important insights from industry stakeholders on the ground, with the intent of establishing an inclusive, collaborative, and consultative Tourism Department.

She said the DOT is also in close coordination with its partner government offices such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), as well the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Health (DOH) for the enhanced travel connectivity and ensured the safety of tourists.

Job generation

In terms of increasing employability, Frasco said the DOT has collaborated with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), in the launching of the Trabaho, Turismo Asenso! last September in the National Capital Region (NCR), Cebu and Davao to fill in the gaps in the tourism workforce.

The collaboration has aggregated 157 tourism-related companies and offered a total of 8,310 jobs with 9,000 cumulative registrants.

Tourism training sessions have also been conducted for 25,770 industry stakeholders from tourism-related establishments, Community Based Tourism Organizations (CBTOs), local tourism officers, and members of the academe to equip them with the needed knowledge and skills for the advocacy programs of the sector toward a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive Philippine tourism.

 

Marcos declares December 26 non-working day

by Joseph Pedrajas. MB

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has declared December 26 as special non-working day to give Filipinos ample time to celebrate Christmas with their families.

Marcos signed Proclamation No. 115 as he noted that Christmas Day or December 25 falls on Sunday—which is the usual day off for most working Filipinos.

The President believed that a longer weekend will encourage families “to get together and strengthen their relationship towards a more productive environment.” 

Declaring the date a non-working day “will promote domestic tourism” as well, he added.

Marcos already ordered the Department of Labor and Employment to issue the appropriate circular to implement the proclamation for the private sector.

Earlier, Malacañang updated the list of regular holidays and special non-working days for 2023, allowing “long weekends.”

Proclamation 90, released Nov. 11, amended Proclamation 42, declaring the regular holidays and special non-working days.

Six ways to reduce loneliness this Christmas — from a psychologist

By

 Nilufar Ahmed via The Conversation

Snowmen, tables groaning with food and families having a wonderful time together — these are the images that probably pop into your head when you think of Christmas.

In reality, feelings of loneliness are amplified for many over Christmas. The parties and socializing in the lead up to the big day are swiftly followed by a lingering emptiness as offices, schools and shops close for the festive season. It can feel like the whole world is caught up in a universal experience of Christmas that we are excluded from.

It doesn’t help that Christmas adverts tap in to our emotions and create an expectation of what Christmas should look like. The build up seems to start earlier each year, with evidence suggesting that people begin to think about Christmas from as early as August, and with the cost of living crisis people have been planning their spending in advance. So by the time Christmas arrives, the festive messages will have been intensifying for weeks if not months.

Christmas itself is hard if not possible to escape from entirely. But there are things you can do to manage your experience if you plan to spend time by yourself over advent. 

It can help to bear in mind that far fewer people are having a glossy family celebration straight out of a Coca-Cola advert than you’d expect. For some people this will be a busy period, but for others it will be a time of quiet reflection.

Christmas is a varied experience. There is no one overriding version that applies to all, or even most, people. A lot of people work over Christmas, and students (especially international students) may choose, or not be able to, return to their family homes.

Research has found Christmas can be a time of decreased well-being even for people surrounded by their loved ones. Reasons include family tensions and financial worries. This year the cost of living crisis and industrial disputes will throw many people’s plans into chaos. All this will disrupt that stereotype of a universal Christmas full of cheer that everyone else is experiencing without us.

And while we often think of isolation as something that impacts older older, research confirms loneliness affects all people of all ages. Some studies have found actually younger people are more likely to report feeling lonely than other age groups.

There can be a huge temptation to scroll through social media feeds when we are alone to see what everyone else is doing. But high levels of social media consumption is associated with increased negative mood and worsened loneliness.

Instead, if you are worried about spending Christmas alone why not try some of these tips.

1. Connect with others

Put yourself out there to friends, family, loved ones, or a group that you feel a connection to. For example, join a running group if you enjoy exercise. Being part of a group that you share a purpose and identity with can raise your spirits. If you hesitate to talk to people you know because you worry they won’t have time, think about how you would respond if they reached out to you. If you would make time for them, the chances are they will too. Even if it’s just for a chat.

2. Volunteer

Consider volunteering with any range of age groups, communities, animal shelters or charities. Volunteering can reduce loneliness and increase your sense of connectedness.

Feeling lonely is not the same as being alone. There can be many positive aspects of being alone that you can lean into over Christmas.

3. Take time for gratitude

When we feel alone we can end up in a negative loop where feelings of loneliness lead to negative thoughts which reinforce loneliness. Taking a moment to practice gratitude breaks this cycle.

It can boost your wellbeing by redirecting your thoughts to more uplifting aspects of life. Regular gratitude practice has been found to reduce loneliness and even depression.

4. Catch up on books and box sets

Allow yourself to get stuck in to a good book. Reading can brighten your mood. If you are not confident in reading, you can always listen to an audiobook, or indulge in a box set that you wouldn’t have time for ordinarily.

5. Exercise

The physical and mental health benefits of exercise are well known. Even the most gentle exercise can do wonders to cheer you up. Taking the time to focus mindfully on a walk and lean into solitude can help lift you out of a downwards spiral.

6. Enjoy the rituals

Spending the season by yourself doesn’t mean that Christmas can’t be special. If Christmas is something that you love, then the rituals associated with Christmas can boost your mental health and combat loneliness.

Remind yourself that you can decide what Christmas means to you, and how you want to spend it, and that is a gift.

Nilufar Ahmed, Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences, CPsychol, FHEA, University of Bristol. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Living with mysteries

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THAT otherwise amusing story of how the baby of Elizabeth and Zechariah was to be called John instead of Zechariah as their neighbors suggested (cfr. Lk 1,57-66) somehow tells us that in our life we have to contend with certain mysteries that often defy common sense, logic, tradition and our other human and natural ways.

We should just be humble enough to realize that our natural certainties can never cope with the mysteries of life. No matter how objective and scientific these certainties are derived, no matter how deep and exhaustive our philosophies, theologies and ideologies are made, our certainties just cannot take all the mysteries in our life.

Even in the world of nature where in theory we have the capacity to know things conclusively, we often find ourselves in situations of tentativeness and even of outright error. That is why we are always in the process of discoveries and we would not know when we can end it, that is to say, when we can say that we have known everything to be known in the world of nature.

This does not mean that our certainties can never know the truth, even the absolute, and not just relative truths. Yes, we can, but the best that we can do is to project ourselves to infinite possibilities, because even the absolute truths are not things that are frozen. They are always dynamic.

Our certainties can only tackle some aspects and levels of the reality that is proper to us. We need to realize more deeply that we have to contend not only with natural and even spiritual realities but also with supernatural realities that simply are above our nature to know, unless some revelation is made which should be corresponded to with our act of belief.

We just have to learn to abandon ourselves to the mysterious ways of God who in his wise providence takes care of everything. We are not expected to know and understand everything. What is expected of us is to have faith in God so we can always be with him no matter how things turn.

With all the things that we have to contend with in this life, we certainly need to have a healthy sense of trust in God’s loving and wise providence, abandoning ourselves in his will and ways that often are mysterious to us and can appear to be contrary to what we would like to have.

We just have to be ready for wherever divine providence would take us. We have to be open to it all the time. Even as we make our plans and pursue them truly as our own, we should not forget that nothing in our life is actually outside the providence of God who can adapt himself to us, even in our worst situations and predicaments, and still lead us to himself.

The only thing to remember is that God is always around and is actually intervening and directing our life to him. That is part of his omnipotence which he exercises both from all eternity and in time since our creation and all the way to the end of time.

We need to be open to his providence, because even if God is 100% responsible for our life, we too, in a manner of speaking, are also 100% responsible for our life. Since we have been created in God’s image and likeness, we cannot help but have our life immersed also in God’s life. We need to learn to live our life with him as consciously and as freely as possible with him.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Traslacion festivities to resume in Davao

Published December 22, 2022, 10:25 AM

by Christina Hermoso

Devotees of the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (Black Nazarene) in Davao City have announced the resumption of all activities related to the feast of the Traslacion of the revered image on Jan. 9.

Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church)

“As the situation here in our city has slowly returned to pre-pandemic levels, we are announcing that the face-to-face activities including the foot procession will return in this year’s Traslacion festivities,” the Davao Nazareno said over Radio Veritas. 

Organizers said devotees are looking forward to the resumption of activities in honor of the Black Nazarene which had been canceled for the last two years.

The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church) in Manila earlier called on devotees to celebrate the feast of the Traslacion on January 9 in their respective parishes to help decongest the crowd in Quiapo.

The Quiapo Church has canceled the annual Traslacion procession in view of the ongoing pandemic and has instead encouraged devotees to go to the Quirino Grandstand for the holy mass and the “pagpupugay” in lieu of the traditional “pahalik.”

The official replica of the Black Nazarene will be enshrined at the Our Lady of Peñafrancia GKK Chapel in Buhanginan Davao City which is under the San Alfonso Maria de Liguori Parish, the Davao Nazareno said.

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“The devotees of the Black Nazarene here in the Archdiocese of Davao are hoping that with the smooth return of all face-to-face activities we will be able to spread the love and mercy of the Risen Lord, the Nazareno, to all Catholic faithful in our city as they are facing new challenges brought by complex geopolitical and economic situations,” the group stressed.

What Filipino foods can I serve to my white friends?

Ronna Lou

 · 

Philippine-Women.com Dating Coach and Matchmaking Consultant

What Filipino foods can I serve to my white friends?

According to my foreign friends, these are some of the Filipino dishes they can’t resist.

• Adobo
• Lechon
• Sisig
• Kare-Kare
• Lumpia
• Sinigang

For desserts, these are the ones they love.

• Halo-Halo
• Leche Flan
• Buko Pandan
• Maja Blanca
• Cassava Cake
• Ube Halaya

You can read more about Filipino food here: Top Must-Try Filipino Dishes

Daphne Oseña Paez appointed as Palace 'press briefer'

By Kristina Maralit  and Aric John Sy Cua

December 21, 2022 1180

(UPDATE) TELEVISION personality and The Manila Times columnist Daphne Oseña Paez has been appointed as the official "press briefer" of the Palace.

Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) Officer in Charge Cheloy Garafil formally introduced Paez to the Malacañang Press Corps in a briefing on Tuesday.

Garafil said that Paez's main role will be to give the press briefer on "every activity, program of President [Ferdinand] Marcos Jr."

Paez, who earned her degrees in Fine Arts and History from the University of Toronto, began her career in media in the country in ABS-CBN as a news reporter in the 1990s. She was also the weather presenter of the late night English newscast, "The World Tonight."

As Malacañang's "explainer," Paez will "regularly be the source of updates from the Palace."

"I look forward to working with all of you in a harmonious and collegial manner because I am also one of you. I am very honored to be communicating the message and programs of this administration, of course, in an accurate and effective way and I will do my best," the 52-year-old said.

She likewise clarified that she is not the new Palace spokesman and that Marcos will still continue to "speak for himself."

"I am just here to support the Office of the Press Secretary for now," she said.

Paez told reporters that this is her first time working directly with the government.

Antibiotics shortages as surging illnesses spur demand

By Agence France-Presse

PARIS: Europe and North America have seen shortages of the key antibiotic amoxicillin and other medications as surging illnesses particularly among children have increased demand for the drugs.

Hospitals in many countries have come under pressure from a rising number of illnesses including what has been dubbed a "tripledemic" of Covid-19, influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) which causes bronchiolitis.

But ramping up production of antibiotics has proved difficult for drug makers, particularly for cheap generic medicines that offer a slender profit margin.

What and where?

Amoxicillin is a member of the penicillins antibiotic family and is used to treat a range of bacterial illnesses, including chest and ear infections, often in children.

In France, the medicines regulator ANSM said last month that there are "strong supply tensions" for the version of amoxicillin most used by children, warning the situation could last until March.

Spain's medicines agency also warned last month of potential amoxicillin shortages.

Germany, too, has sounded the alarm about shortages of a range of drugs including amoxicillin and other antibiotics.

Last week, the UK government issued "serious shortage protocols" for three penicillin-based antibiotics.

The move came after at least 19 children died from Group A Streptococcus (Strep A), amid reports that doctors and parents are struggling to find antibiotics to treat the illness.

Outside of Europe, amoxicillin has been on the US Food and Drug Administration drug shortage database since October.

The FDA told AFP that it "is currently working with the approved manufacturers and others in the supply chain."

Other countries including Canada and Australia have also recently put amoxicillin on their list of drugs for which pharmacists are authorized to find substitute treatments.

What is causing the shortages?

Winter in the northern hemisphere has brought a particularly nasty influenza season as well as spikes in other viruses such as RSV. The surge comes after two years in which Covid measures such as quarantines, self-isolation and mask-wearing significantly decreased the rate of such illnesses.

Pharmaceutical companies who had cut back production because of the previously falling demand are now scrambling to meet skyrocketing orders, causing delays.

The producers of the drugs' active ingredients have also struggled with shortages.

Sandoz, the generic drug division of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, told AFP that the "stock shortages at our competitors also contribute to the unexpectedly high sales of our drugs, and therefore to additional supply difficulties."

Sign of a wider problem?

Antibiotics are old drugs whose patents have often fallen into the public domain, meaning that generic versions can be sold cheaply.

Drug makers therefore have little monetary incentive to produce such antibiotics. Indeed, even generics producers can struggle to maintain a significant profit.

Thomas Borel, the scientific director at LEEM which represents French drugs firms, said there had been insufficient investment from the industry "in view of the growing demand for this type of medicine."

He added that the economic model makes it difficult for drug makers "to recover their costs" when it comes to antibiotics.

Another issue is that only around 10 firms, most of them in Asia, still produce the active ingredients for amoxicillin.

Solutions?

In the short term, national health authorities have recommended that pharmacists and doctors substitute the drugs in short supply with other medications whenever possible, as well as limiting treatment duration.

Manufacturers including Britain's GSK have also ramped up production speed.

Sandoz said it has hired more staff and invested in upping production at its Kundl site in Austria.

More broadly, some industry specialists have called for a new business model that combines the needs of patients and those of the companies that produce such cheap drugs.

LEEM's Borel said "the pharmaceutical industry must be considered to be a strategic sector in which public authorities must be more vigilant than they have been in recent years."

LPA enters PAR but less likely to develop into a tropical depression – Pagasa

By Arlie O. Calalo, Manila Times

December 21, 2022

A low pressure area (LPA) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) but has less chance of turning into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, the state-run weather agency said on Wednesday.

The LPA was spotted past 3 a.m. some 210 kilometers east-northeast of Davao City, according to weather forecaster Grace Castañeda of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

She said the weather disturbance was less likely to escalate into a storm over the next two days but it may bring rain over Visayas and Mindanao.

Pagasa said the shear line, the point where the cold and warm air converge, is affecting the eastern section of Southern Luzon while the northeast monsoon locally known as "amihan" is affecting the rest of Luzon.

The rest of the country, meanwhile, may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the trough of LPA and localized thunderstorms, the weather bureau said.