A Few Hours Before Christmas

For many Filipinos, Christmas is a time for the family. If you’ve been reading about the Philippines, then you’ve probably heard about the Filipino custom and tradition of ”Misa de Gallo” which starts every December 16 until the 25th. The 16th is also the first “official” day for Christmas caroling.

But this article is not about Misa de Gallo or Christmas carols. This is about my sister, and poverty in the Philippines. The photo you see on the left of this page is of the St. Joseph Parish Church in Alaminos City. It was seven pm when my family decided to go and hear the Christmas. After the mass, several aetas approached my sister asking for money. Okay, my sister is 15 and we are on vacation so she really didn’t have money on her pocket. After looking inside her bag, she found 50 cents and gave it to one of the children. To her surprise, they threw it on the ground and complained.

Now how does this incident relate to poverty? The first and last time I heard the phrase “beggars cannot be choosers” was years ago, but this was the first thing that came into my mind when I heard this story. Here are a couple of beggars and it seems as if all of them were choosers. How can this happen? Apparently, they don’t need 50 cents, but the question is, what do they need? I thought beggars needed food and shelter - looks as if these people already have these and want something else. I don’t to think hard about them now - it’s late at night and the temperature is way down. Last December, the lowest temperature was 9 degrees Celius but its now much lower. I think we’re at 8.5 degrees tonight. Now, perhaps winter in Baguio is definitely worth the experience.