It's the first day of December. Right now, I don't even feel like celebrating Christmas. Cebu is still in a state of calamity overall. I don't even look forward to Christmas parties. I'm glad some churches have canceled Christmas parties, to divert the fundraising (such as paying PHP 500.00 per head or family) to convert them into relief goods purchases instead. However, some people can have a callous mentality that's akin to the Masque of the Red Death. Boomers may have tried seeing the film Masque of the Red Death starring the late Vincent Price. The story of the Masque of the Red Death had Prospero trying to deny the terrible plague called the Red Death, choosing to hold a lavish feast instead of helping his citizens!
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| Lessandra |
The typical Noche Buena can be high in cholesterol and the like. As I thought of DTI Secretary Christina Roque's rather tactless (but probably badly needed) statement that PHP 500.00 is enough for a Noche Buena of a family of four. There's the Noche Buena starter pack. I feel like DTI Secretary Roque is using a hyperbole to attack the typical Filipino noche buena mindset. Using Gemini on Google, the picture above would cost at least PHP 10,000 and above, which is the typical expectation of the Filipino family for a noche buena. They think that, "No to simpleng handaan, yes to noche buena!" In a sense, DTI Secretary Roque's statement can be true if a family of four (one unit) gets PHP 500.00, another family gets PHP 500.00, and all families who want a feast contribute PHP 500.00; they can still have a feast. However, some people should forego the feast if they're suffering financially.
Unfortunately, for some people, they want to be like Prospero in The Masque of the Red Death. They believe in lavish feasting because it's Christmas, never mind situations like Christmas-time disasters, such as Odette or any infamous Christmas season disasters. Some people subscribe to the mentality of the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" non-stop, believing that Christmas should be "good vibes only", never mind that Christmas Day disasters happen. Some people due during December, which December 25 is no exception to the rule.
However, some people are still like Prospero, who want to ignore the problems that occur during December, with Christmas toxic positivity. It's one thing to celebrate Christmas. It's another to have Christmas toxic positivity. One could celebrate Christmas if one is truly emotionally and financially able to. However, to force to a family that suffered a loss so close to Christmas or during December, to celebrate Christmas, is pretty much like Prospero. This can result in several problems such as emotional damage, leading to possible medical bills caused by repressed sadness and anger! It's one thing to control your temper. It's another thing to repress your anger.
The lifestyle that says, "If life is bitter, just add sugar," contributes to why so many Filipinos are dead broke. Prospero tried to forget the Red Plague with a feast. Some people will try to forget their problems with a feast. I don't see the logic of how preparing a feast and borrowing money for a feast, will make the debts magically go away. It's nothing more than compounded interest working against their favor than in their favor. If your interest accumulates, so does the principal amount! When one borrows from one creditor after another, it's a natural increase in liability.
People just have that pinaskohan mentality going on. Sadly, that's just being like King Prospero. One day, the red death will hit the finances. That red death can come in the form of Five-Six Lenders chasing after debtors. It can also be the bank performing a mortgage. It can come in the form of being insolvent. It can come in the form of utilities being cut off due to unpaid bills. Either way, the red death to one's finances can never be wished away with Prospero's thinking!