Fiesta Economics 101

(This column appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar daily Express)

Hi there! It’s another week and we are 8 days away to the Calbayog City Fiesta. And yes, we are finishing off yet another long weekend. Do I still have to mention that it’s the National Heroes Day that we are celebrating thus we don’t report for work today? Well, could be just another day, and depending on one’s priorities in life – a rest day, cleanup day, gimik day, workday for extra pay, or a day to finish a book. Today we honor heroes the names of which we have read since elementary, we have been reading about them for so long that we have forgotten about them. I’d like to mention (again) what I said in my earlier columns: It’s interesting to note that for two consecutive weeks we got long weekends to honor heroes, or at least what they stand (or stood) for. Now, what do you think do most of us do during long weekends (like last week and this week)? Rest, I suppose? As to the ideals that the heroes are there for, I guess we have to observe or at least be reminded about it not only during holidays, but in all the days of our lives.

Now let’s pan our sights to something that has nothing to do with heroes. Forbes magazine is into it again – the list of the world’s richest. I didn’t bother looking at who made it to the list, I don’t want to drool. One thing though, as one news item had it, the rich are getting richer. How about chronicling the poorest and those who are getting poorer? Now that would be one hell of a job to do.

Neri suspended over ZTE. If I may borrow a line from the Philippine Star editorial, is he the most guilty? No comment on that. Many might regard him as the original whistleblower. And we do not have to look far and wide what happens to whistleblowers in this country.

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It’s all-systems go for the soft-opening of the Calbayog City Sports Center tomorrow. The center will be the venue of events slated for Hadang 2009, the local festival which is held in time for the Calbayog City Fiesta. Opening Ceremonies will be held at 6:00 pm tomorrow. It will be followed by the Hadang Ritual Competition at 7:00 pm.

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Mobile Passporting Service in Calbayog. The City of Calbayog through the Local Civil Registry Office, in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) RO 8 will once again offer a mobile passporting service.

This service will be held on September 12 - 13, 2009 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Old Barracks Building (Handumanan) Conference Hall.

In line with this, authentication of Civil Registry documents will be conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) Provincial Office at the Calbayog City Hall Sala on September 10, 2009 (Thursday).

Basic Requirements for Mobile Passporting are:

· Four (4) Passport size photo
· Two (2) valid IDs
· Marriage Certificate (applicable only to married women)

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And yes, fiesta! What is it about feast day of saints that get us or at least many among us going? Am I getting old? I used to get excited about the sight baratillos and peryahan, now I see them as something that mess the city streets. Each time fiesta comes, I always remember an experience I had with my PS 101 professor who gave a very interesting anecdote about fiestas. He started off by apologizing to the Catholics among us, saying that the church is a remnant of the dark ages, after saying that line, he apologized once again. The young person in me did not bother to react then, and when you are at U.P. (sadly I did not finish my course there), everything is in the name of free expression. Anyway back to fiesta. I dunnow if my professor was trying to be funny (I think he did try to be funny), he said that fiestas had a very interesting history. That it all boiled down with some frayles caprices. Wanting to eat nice and be served well – to wine and dine - on certain days, they went around various towns and assigned saints for the local folks to venerate and for them to prepare on the saint’s feast day, and thus was born the pista and patronos or patronas. Of course there are various papers which gave us the history if the pista or patrun.

Anyway, it’s not that I’m against celebrating fiestas, it’s just that the city gets too crowded and noisy (now I’m really old!) and yes, it’s hard to get PD cabs. But fiestas have its positive side. That it’s a celebration of culture and tradition is a given. Let’s look at the economic side. People will prepare food, money will move (or is it circulate?) in the market and the local stores - good thing for the local economy. There will be parades, the participants get dressed and made up, the dressmakers and makeup artists get to earn something. And yes, people get to be generous in thanking for graces received, no need to mention on how much can the parishes rake in from donations and mass sponsorships. When people or visitors come to the city or a place celebrating fiesta, they will take the cab, some will buy cigarettes, candy, food, and some will pay for a place to stay. It’s a season of better earning for cigarette and candy vendor. No need to mention that it’s also a field day for pickpocket, snatchers and the dugo-dugo gang. And yes, even the sex workers both male and female can rake it in come fiesta time. It’s noisy, it’s messy, it’s crowded. But hey, it’s kahi-araan, I rest my case and I have to let it go, it’s only for a day.

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Hadang 2009 activities: September 2, 2009: UV Green Lancers vs TTMIST Kings (at 4:00 p.m.); SMB/ PBA Fans' Day (at 6:00 p.m.); SMB Concert (at 7:00 p.m.)
September 3, 2009: "Himig Nating Pag-Ibig" with Noel Cabangon (at 7:00 p.m.)

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The CKC – Jose Gomez orchestra will have a fiesta concert. This will be held on September 5, 2009 at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral at 6:30 pm.

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Have a nice week everyone. Ciao!