Editorial: Some thoughts this Christmas

Christmas is coming. While this should be a cause for excitement and anticipation of good family times, there’s something less pleasurable on our minds at this time of year.

Today more than ever, we feel, and sometimes get sick at the thought, that the holiday season gets even more expensive.

And for most of us Pinoys abroad whose money is already tight in the light of appreciation (but with less purchasing power) of peso, we worry about how our finances will cope.

For all of its pomp and occasion, Christmas can come at a heavy price to bear. Due to immense marketing and advertising during the season, the true meaning of Christmas is often lost.

I am not to talk about the true meaning of Christmas. We all have different reasons and outlook of the holiday season. But what is undeniable is that people nowadays equate the holidays as a time of gift giving and receiving.

While this is not a bad thing, it is this materialistic point of view which usually leaves us painstakingly trying to make both ends meet, month after month, year after year.

But rather than be won over by commercial frenzies of the event or sulk at loneliness of being away from home this season, arming oneself with financial literacy will probably give us different perspectives on how we shall control our finances.

For the last two weeks I buried myself reading the book “Why We Want You To Be Rich”. It is a collaboration of two best-selling authors in the field of Financial Management, multi-billionaire Donald Trump and author of Rich Dad Poor Dad book series Robert Kiyosaki. It summarizes their fears about the seemingly brewing collapse of the middle class of America. Accordingly, the key to be free from this debilitating situation lies in financial education which is lacking in the present system.

I see our country, being predominantly patterned after American systems, to be heading in the same direction. Our thinking that the government should provide for us has already started to fireback leaving us inept and incapable to stand on our own.

In succeeding months, it is my wild guess that Filipino dailies, e-zines, and blogs will start featuring stories of how money is never really a problem.

Ms. Habito in her Oct 27 Inquirer column has already started with “pump-priming” efforts of the government. It is a scheme of unleashing cash to stimulate economic activity in the hope of building and promoting more trades and investment.

Furthermore, business sections do not fail to report on the staggering amount of OFW remittances.

We’ve got lots of money, so to speak.

It is our own fear and inaction to conduct business in the country that is the real culprit behind the collapse of our economy (see page 1). Our inability to look beyond our purses in putting our hard-earned money for good use, and loss of confidence in the system are the principal factors that slowly kill our dreams to ensure the future of our nation.
This Christmas, let us all light up our trees and wish for a more watchful eyes that we may rather see opportunity than resources. Let us wish for courage that we find freedom to pursue our dream; self-respect that we may realize that we deserve even better; and love that makes life more meaningful.
Merry Christmas!