Sunday, September 14, 2008 Sun.Star Essay: A holiday, is it? By Erma M. Cuizon
WHAT’S up, ask the objectors. For one, government has “moved” Bataan Day or National Heroes Day, even Rizal Day, how could Rizal have been born a day earlier or later?
Yes, they’re complaining about “holiday economics.”
In Manila, get to drive out of the city going north at the beginning of summer and you’ll see a holiday glow in the air. One jeep that passed us by summers ago on our way up the Luzon coasts by land had a boat tied on top as the family, packed in the seats below, couldn’t probably wait to do some rapids somewhere along Pagsanjan. There was another vehicle that overtook us with passengers already in swim gears.
It was a summer holiday in the ‘60s. Can you move it to another time of the year?
And now there’s holiday economics over which some people are crying foul. How could you ever imagine New Year in November, say?
No, no, some holidays will have to be fixed, says the holiday economics law.
But doesn’t that seem messy? Is it or isn’t it holiday today? The whiners say that these days with such strange economics, you’d have to look up the news regarding holidays or ask media whether it’s holiday or not.
Republic Act 9492, signed by the President last year, is “an act rationalizing the celebration of holidays.” There is now such a thing as “shifting” feasts.
Isn’t it ridiculous to move celebrations of holidays, ask the nitpickers.
And who would listen to the government trying to say that the holiday economics law would reduce “disruption” to business and the schedules of production?
But most of all, the idea behind the law, says Malacañang, is that more people would want to get out of town if the usual one-day holiday, when moved, would feel like a long weekend when connected to Sunday---thus giving domestic tourism a swing it deserves.
But tinkering with the old tradition of holidays would bring about lower output, critics swear. And why should the President trifle with history, they ask, even if it’s just a day or two of change?.
I guess it’s a different time we’re in, the same way the people in organizations or through the government first changed religious festivities into tourism displays.
From the holy days of our great grandfathers, we now have the “holidays” which somehow, for the hosts of the feast, pay considerably. And we’re not even apologizing for this, should we? We’re fixing up traditional icons or churches in acts of conservation with tourism in mind, any objection?
In some European countries, the holy day is already “holiday” which means a period away from home or work in travel or recreation. To Americans, a holiday means vacation---“out on a holiday, aren’t you?”
Years before the Sinulog parade project was started in 1981, the Pit Senyor dances were held as prayers performed in the small yard of the old San Agustin church, not as shows to attract tourists. Nobody applauded the form and the beat, nor laughed while watching, but prayed more deeply after the sight.
Certainly, no one’s objecting, although the Church side of the festival is careful to stick to the religious. Besides, the thought of attracting tourists is like a way of rendering the world small, showing to other peoples our culture and our way of life. In this way, through what we call tourism, with holy days becoming modern festivals, shifting dates in some cases, it’s like rendering the world small and warmhearted.
It’s interesting the way human beings strive to survive and, as a result, culture is formed. So the talk about gods in our life isn’t a thought so different from the hunt for food or the putting up of huts. In some places, one festival called Disting isn’t only to prepare for Spring and set the land for planting but is also time to count the cattle and one’s wealth in a “festival of finance” which goes far back in time.
