The Season of Loveand Happiness

               Christmas was truly the most wonderful time of the year. There are 33% of the world’s population and more than 160 countries around the world celebrating Christmas yearly. The atmosphere during this celebration was a lot different from any ordinary days. Seeing those lanterns, magnificent and well lighted Christmas tree and most especially the representation of the nativity makes the people feel the early spirit of Christmas. Christmas is also the season of gift giving and receiving and who would ever forget Santa Claus and his reindeers. The all time favourite Christmas character of the kids. And for some people the character of Santa Claus was literally the symbol for gift giving.

                Christmas will never be completed without Christmas songs like “Jingle bells” by James Lord Pierpont and “Santa Claus is coming to town” by  John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie and here also in the Philippines the songs like “Pasko na Naman” by Ryan Cayabyab and “ Ang Pasko ay Sumapit by Vicente D. Rubi and Mariano Vestil. These songs were never been an exception in the song list of the people who loves to join carolling. Carolling was traditionally done yearly by people especially by the kids because Christmas songs can add gaiety and life in celebrating Christmas.  And for some reasons people are doing carolling not to receive money for themselves but for some charitable reasons.

                No one can ever resist the beauty of those sparkling and colourful lanterns hanging all around.  And the magnificent and well lighted Christmas placed in many houses. These decorative arts add and enhance the ambiance of the surroundings and field the places with the spirit of Christmas.  Although it is an expensive way for others of showing and expressing peoples point of view on celebrating Christmas. But other persons uses their imaginative minds in using already existing and recycled materials in which they organized and come up with a beautiful masterpiece which they use to décor their houses and for some people they usually come out with this idea in order for them to earn money which they usually use for their noche buena wherein the whole family will eat dinner together in welcoming Christmas.

                This doings are practiced by people yearly during Christmas season. But there is a main reason why people celebrating Christmas and that is the birth and the coming of our saviour Jesus Christ.  And it was also a great time for thanking God for giving his only son for us to be saved from our sins. This season was not only indented   for the people to enjoy and have fun but it is important that we are celebrating Christmas for  us to remember God and Jesus Christ to thank him for all the blessings He showered upon us.   And In the long process   Christmas time was truly the season of love and happiness

The Great Catastrophe in Northern Mindanao

                Typhoon Washi or locally known “Bagyong Sendong” the worst typhoon in the world blows some parts of Northern Mindanao particularly in Cagayan de Oro city and Iligan city. Eight days before Christmas when Bagyong Sendong strikes Northern Mindanao. The people there starting to notice the strong wind and heavy rain in the early morning of December 16, 2011 but they never thought that it would cause a big flood.  Waters and logs coming from the mountains flows towards the main rivers caused the overflowing and the breakdown of one of the bridges of Iligan city. The places near those rivers like Isla de Oro in CDO and brgy. Hinaplanon in Iligan City were the greatly affected areas. And according to the local Government of Iligan City this tragic was the first to happen in their place. As of how that happened there are a lot of speculations how this signal number 1 greatly slams both Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City and dispatched the life of almost 1,500 and still counting and still thousands are missing as of the moment.  The local government of both cities And the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are still pointing fingers on each other on who to blame.

                Despite of these devastating happenings this situation brings out the best of the kind hearted citizens who continually giving donations and hard works for the people affected in this calamity. Many people coming from different state of life are helping one another to provide the needs of the people who are still suffering until now.  Evacuation centers are still providing according to their needs especially in water, food and clothing. The local governments had also schedules of stress debriefing in order to lessen the trauma of the people especially the children.

                This is a hard time for the people living in that situation to celebrate Christmas and New Year.  The government had an idea to give them a noche buena package and some cash card. For some evacuation centers they organized a small party for the kids in a way that they could also lessen the sadness that they were encountering. But the only wish they had for Christmaswas to relocate them in a safer and comfortable place as fast as the government could. The national governments give hundreds of millions for the both cities for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the facilities that are destroyed because of the typhoon aside from that there is also a fund intended for the relocation and building of houses for the people who lost their houses and properties. The international society is giving also money and this is also intended for the livelihood program.

Despite of that they are still thankful that they were still alive even though some people lost their family or love ones. It is hard for them to start a new life, a new beginning because that disastrous event can never be deleted in their minds. But still life goes on .Everybody have a chance to move on and face the coming days to come.