FOR God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, and so we celebrate Christmas because the son was born in a manger of human parents.
The real meaning of the season is the celebration of Christmas for a child was born to be the Messiah. That changed the world and love came with humility and power.
The Son of God and man came with humility to be human when Jesus was God, humble to be the ways of man and became Master, healer, leader, teacher, carpenter and molder of men and women. He was buried in the tomb yet, he lives even today.
Today, the birth of Jesus has lost some of its meaning as commercialization has overtaken the meaning of Christmas. It is a request for trade fairs and more sale modes to sell all kinds of products and conduct all sorts of trading.
This boost economy as money is spent and money keeps changing hands from sellers and buyers. Food gets prepared by handlers consumed way beyond the 100 percent consumption level of human, and eventually the pets also are introduced to gluttony.
The shift of the meaning of Christmas has been noticeably more evident in the metropolis and urban centers. Yet in some rural areas, the meaning of Christmas is community celebration and acting out the birth of Christ.
In the city alone, we had several Christmas Carols and church performances to re capture the real meaning of Advent and Christmas. May they continue doing so as it is an effort to refocus our time and our resources for a higher celebration.
In the Baguio Episcopal Church alone, the Cathedral of the Resurrection, the Holy Innocents church in Easter College, and Brent School have made great performances this Advent. Include now the Christmas Cantata of the University of Baguio and other schools. These activities are where we can feel the meaning of the season. May we have them more?
But on the other side, the city hall is requested to approve trade fairs in the streets and in the parks where consumerism is promoted. The business establishments come up with gift packs to help consumers to buy with less effort of making matching choices.
There are even request of barangays to conduct trade fairs within the city market itself. Even non-traders have become business persons during this season.
I see the POSD (Public Order and Safety Division) remaining steadfast in their jobs in pursuit of law and order especially in our sidewalks and market alleys.
The team of Daryll Longid is a fresh breath of law and order especially with our ambulant vendors, where the law draws a line between order and chaos.
Not many know that their used to be only 200 ambulant vendors and in the recent past ballooned to 600 plus and at least 146 of them do not even have a special permit.
This special cost less than P500 a quarter in contrast to a market vendor who pays stall rental, mayor’s permit, business permit, sanitary permit, fire permit and to some health permit.
What we must do is support the legitimate vendors and business persons and establishments. But at the same time we must do something to the illegal vendors and help them become legal and that will better their lives.
The market is a breeding center of illegal acts, and we should improve it if Christmas should have a real meaning at all. The business persons in the markets should be given equal opportunities by our government agencies in the resources due to the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises).
They must also be protected from encroachments of organizations or institutions that take away their opportunities, because their main purpose is not trade and business.
Merry Christmas kayet, matago tago tako am-in.