Post-Christmas and Post-New Year Woes Among Failipinos!

It's a common problem to have post-Christmas and post-New Year woes. The typical Pinoy mindset is set on fiestas over hard work, one wants to have a lavish celebration, isn't it any wonder why many Pinoys remain poor? I hope I can write this as an eye opener.

Let's take a look at that one advantage during Christmas. There is the Christmas bonus or 13th month pay. It means receiving a huge amount of money. The typical Pinoy's or Failipino's attitude towards money is something that every enlightened Filipino (Pinoy or not) rejects. The Failipino attitude towards money is to spend whatever is available. It's pay day (15th or 30th working day of the month), it's time to SPEND and SPEND. Christmas bonus? It's time to even SPEND SOME MORE. Christmas bonus not enough? Loan some cash and they hardly pay it back. Can't afford? Charge the money to their credit cards. Sad to say but these values were imparted by the Imperial Spanish and the Muricans to the Philippines.

Based on observation, I have noticed how often some people tend to think Christmas and New Year are not complete without the "bongga" which is a Tagalog word for "lavish excitement". Some people think that their Christmas parties must have all the guests, some even hire bands or do whatever is expensive to "make it memorable". Some of my Pinoy friends have merely limited their Christmas and New Year parties to simple eat outs or just a small gathering. Some just buy a few food they don't eat daily like lechon, roasted calf or any party food... get some fruit salad and never mind all the extracurricular stuff, just get together and cherish the time. They celebrate within a budget to the point that they didn't even have to wait for the 13th month pay. But for many Failipinos, they may view such a lifestyle as "boring", "lacks excitement" and their misguided notion of happiness isn't helping at all. Some even think Christmas parties are never complete without liquor.

Another assumption I have made is that some people may have spent a lot during the "bonga" Christmas party to the point they lack the money to celebrate during New Year. So maybe the credit union or bank resumes duty at December 26 and it's time to LOAN again. Sad to say but a lot of people make the mistake of allowing extra credit for people even when the previous loan is not yet paid, I've made that mistake myself. So maybe they are broke again presumably because they spent their entire 13th month for the Christmas party. So it's time to loan again. Worse, they may have had some health problems or even demolished somebody's car out of being drunk to the point they have to pay or go to jail.

New Year's Eve comes and it's time to get "bongga" again right? It seems to be that Failipino's view of New Year isn't complete without firecrackers. Some even use the dangerous ones like the Judas belt or for them, the louder the better. While good Pinoys have been aware of the experience, maybe some of them even have a traumatic experience, some of them just don't learn. Even with ALL the disgusting pictures of firecracker injuries, still many people are hardheaded as ever. Don't Failipinos just love breaking rules right? In spite of warnings, they would go to buy some firecrackers, start being reckless, some even throw the firecrackers on the road "for fun" because after all "It's More Fun in the Philippines" right?!

Aside from the food and getting drunk, some people may not only be suffering as a result of getting drunk or high cholesterol (which becomes bad cholesterol). It may also be as I mentioned firecracker injuries. They may not only be lacking money for basic needs (hence they are "libing sa utang" or buried in debt), one may also consider the injuries inflicted by firecrackers. If it's not their bodies that are injured, maybe they have injured somebody or a disastrous combination of both. They may have even set somebody's house on fire as a result of such mischief. Whatever, one may think that firecracker control laws is for the good of the people.

One may think... which makes a Christmas merry and a New Year happy? Being able to celebrate and still have money (even if it wasn't a big one) or celebrating big then BECOMING POOR again. To think of fiestas as one way to forget about your problems is stupid because fiestas may add up to problems instead. Instead, think more about savings. If you have savings, you may be able to buy something you really want later on and not suffer from a financial breakdown.