Simple Christmas wishes

The occasion we are all waiting for is barely three days hence. We have all been busy rushing from here to there and each and every one is on the verge of forgetting the true reason for this season. There is too much focus on things that are being sold and should be given. Thus, money, money and money is the most powerful medium of spending what I would call transactional Christmas. There is a clear and indubitable tendency to pour out all our preparation into the material and external manifestations of the celebration. There is a real imminent danger of missing (again) the true meaning of Christmas. Thus, the labor front hereby manifests some simple wishes for this year’s Christmas celebration.

First, we wish for PEACE among our leaders of both the State and the Church. The acrimonious debates involving the RH Bill and on many other contentious issues should now be set aside, and we should all move forward to face the challenges of 2013 with unity among ourselves. The State should now prepare for a more challenging year ahead of us and be ready to protect the people from poverty, disasters and political and social conflicts. The Church should reexamine itself and cleanse its ranks of pedophiles and child molesters, before throwing mud at dirty and greedy politicians.

Second, we wish for A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT, some cleaner and greener cities, towns and villages. We wish for clean and affordable water to nourish us and cleanse our bodies. We wish for a coming year without any destructive hurricanes and earthquakes, neither earthquakes nor flood, nor volcanic eruptions. We wish for more trees and bigger parks where we can go and recharge our souls.

Third, we wish for SECURITY, a country with lesser crimes and no more death and murders at homes, at schools, in work places and in the streets. We wish that all drug lords and drug pushers shall be kept away from our children and from ourselves. We wish that all robbers and thieves, all pickpockets and hold-uppers, all kidnappers and carnappers be arrested, prosecuted and jailed, and kept there, until they are rehabilitated. We wish for a violence-free mid-term elections of 2013, and our homes free from domestic violence and marital troubles, for the sake our children and our future.

Fourth, we wish for a more honest GOVERNMENT, more service-oriented public servants, for a more efficient, fair and transparent delivery of services. We wish for better and more competent teachers, more honest and devoted policemen, judges with a sense of urgency and fairness in administering justice, governors, mayors and congressmen who shall not bicker on childish issues, but shall rise above themselves to really serve the people and for political dynasties to be ashamed of themselves and disband immediately.

Fifth, we wish for our CHURCH leaders to focus on spreading the good news of our salvation, and to leave the task of governance to the government. They should concentrate on saving souls and the conversion of the sinners. They should take a hard look why hundreds of thousand of Catholics are converting to the Iglesia, the Born-Again Christians and even Islam. They should not use the pulpit to harass public officials who have no right to reply to their charges and accusations. And they should remember that they have accountability to their parishioners.

Sixth, we wish for HIGHER WAGES and BETTER WORKING CONDITIONS. We wish that the salesgirls in giant malls and supermarts (owned by the richest men in the Philippines ) shall not remain casuals and contractuals forever, that the DOLE and the POEA and OWWA shall really care for our OFWs and our minimum wage-earners here in our country. We wish that workers be saved from dirty, difficult, dangerous, degrading and deceptive jobs. We wish that the SSS and the GSIS shall not squander the workers’ funds in behest loans and dishonest transactions, and shall really care for workers who suffer diseases, disability and death.

Lastly, we wish for STRONGER FAMILY ties, that the unmitigated labor migration shall not weaken further the basic foundation of our nation, that husbands and wives shall remain faithful to each other, and that they should care for their children not just with money but with love and affection, that children shall not become truant and delinquent, and shall stay away from drugs and juvenile crimes and immoralities. We wish that the family shall remain the main focus of Christmas, with Christ as the center of our celebration. Let us then have a truly blessed and meaningful Christmas, with all our wishes coming true. MALIPAYONG PASKO SA TANAN....