Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte praised Filipinos for the strength of character that he says helped the country through a challenging year defined by a global health crisis, and in the Philippines, a string of natural disasters.
“My fellow Filipinos, this year has been a trying time for all of us. Many lives were lost and forever changed due to COVID-19 pandemic and several natural calamities,” said Duterte in his taped Christmas message sent to reporters on Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve.
“But through it all we continue to survive and rise because of our unity, strength, and indomitable spirit as Filipinos,” he continued.
Vice President Leni Robredo also shone the spotlight on Filipino unity while commenting that Christmas 2020 is an exceptional time.
“Ngunit sa kabila ng napakaraming pagbabago sa mga tradisyong nakaugalian natin, humuhugot tayo ng lakas sa mga bagay na tiyak: Makakaasa tayo sa kabutihan ng ating kapwa; iisa tayong pamilya na sabay-sabay humaharap at bumabangon mula sa anumang pagsubok; lahat tayo, saklaw ng walang-hanggang pagmamahal ni Kristo,” she said.
(Despite the many changes in our traditions, we get our strength from certainties: that we can count on the goodness of our neighbors; we are one family facing and rising from any challenge; we are all embraced by the infinite love of Christ.)
Duterte hoped the Christmas season would give Filipinos some ray of light amid “darkness.”
“This Christmas season, let the story of Jesus Christ’s birth remind us that we should always have hope even in darkness, poverty, and suffering,” said the President, adding that part of the holiday spirit should manifest itself in Filipinos bringing love and cheer to those in need.
Looking to 2021 for hope
Like a big majority of Filipinos, Duterte expressed hope about the year 2021, when vaccines are expected to arrive in the Philippines, a first step in bringing back normalcy.
“May we have all a meaninful celebration and let us be hopeful of the better days ahead,” said Duterte.
Robredo, meanwhile, devoted a portion of her Christmas message to paying tribute to pandemic frontliners, post-typhoon responders, and any Filipino who abided by the government’s anti-coronavirus health measures.
“Mula sa pakikiisa sa ating mga healthcare workers at frontliners, pagdo-donate at pagvo-volunteer sa mga response at relief operations, hanggang sa simpleng pagsunod sa mga health protocols at pagpapalaganap ng tamang impormasyon tungkol sa virus—ang lahat ng ito, nagagawa natin dahil minamahal natin ang ating kapwa,” she said.
(From supporting our healthcare workers and frontliners, donating or volunteering for response and relief operations, to simply following health protocols and spreading information about the virus – all of this, we did because we love our fellow countrymen.)
Amid the messages of love and hope from Duterte and Robredo, Christmas week in the Philippines began on a bloody note.
A cop shot and killed a mother and son in Tarlac on Sunday, December 21, sparking outrage among Filipinos in a week that was supposed to be about celebration.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has put a damper on holiday cheer with a record-low percentage of Filipinos expecting Christmas to be happy.
Right before Christmas week, experts warned of the beginning of another surge in COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, epicenter of the pandemic in the Philippines.
As of Wednesday, there are almost 25,000 active cases of COVID-19 in the country. The national tally of all cases since the start of the pandemic is at 464,004, the second highest in Southeast Asia. Over 9,000 Filipinos have died from the respiratory disease. – Rappler.com
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