Article by Miyuki Ishikawa Graphics by Daniela Gubatan
December 24, 2021
How did you spend your Christmas last year? Was it with family, having a big celebration, exchanging pleasantries and gifts? Or was it alone, locked up in your home, or breathing shallowly through a mask? What about the year before that? I think it is needless to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about so many changes. Yet, the Filipino Christmas spirit still remained. Resilience is so deeply ingrained in our culture that despite all the troubles and hardships of the past year, many of us still rose to the occasion and found our own ways to celebrate the holidays.
In December 2020, the pandemic was at its height. On November 30, half a month before the official start of the Christmas holidays, Metro Manila, along with several other major cities, was put under General Community Quarantine (GCQ), with the rest of the country under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) for the whole month of December. The General Community Quarantine is the third strictest level in control. At that point in time, Metro Manila had been under GCQ since June 2, 2020— save for a two-week period under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), a stricter quarantine qualification. In Quezon City, the GCQ guidelines stated that only those aged 18 to 65 with a government-issued ID may leave their homes. Non-essential mass gatherings of more than 10 people were also strictly prohibited.
This did not dampen the Filipino Christmas spirit, and in fact only got most of us into coming up with creative ways to be with our loved ones. Many of those my age, including myself, indulged in the use of social media and its varied call services to get together with our dearest friends and have a virtual Christmas party. This type of get-together was not so alien since months before the holidays even came around, so-called “e-numans” became a thing. Virtual gatherings of friends with the idea to wind down together for a casual drink. And when the holidays came around, online shops became the savior for those who still wanted to participate in exchange gifts despite the distance and restrictions. Filipinos of all ages focused their frustrations about the pandemic onto building a safe, although distant, way of connecting like we Filipinos always do during these merry days.
After much waiting and patience, the holidays from two years past are almost back. With the new normal, open air festivities are now allowed and rising back again. With Marikina City having 92% percent of its eligible population fully vaccinated as of August 2021, the Marikina Riverbanks Christmas bazaar and attractions are now the talk of the town. Pasig City, with vaccination rates of 70% as of October 2021, has also started a Str-eat Market in Sta. Lucia Mall, which is quickly gaining traction on social media. Despite all these seemingly back to normal Christmas activities, we cannot deny that safety must still be the first of our concerns. The pandemic is still here, no matter how much it may dampen our spirits. But time and time again, we Filipinos have never let such things get us down. And always, we will rise again.
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