No doubt, this year's commemoration of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day will become a memorable one for Filipinos.
For one thing, this year will mark the first time residents are finally allowed to honor the long-standing tradition of visiting the graves of their loved ones, after cemeteries and memorial parks were closed due to the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
And with the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic still looming large among us, with a threat of yet another surge in cases as the national government slowly relaxes health restrictions and life goes back to normal after two years of lockdowns and restrictions, this year’s commemoration of Undas will no doubt be a painful one.
We will remember not only the 63,000 Filipinos that had been the casualties of the two-year pandemic, but also the four million who have gone through the agonies of the coronavirus, many of whom are still going through the lingering effects of the disease.
We will commemorate the wasted opportunities, the lost time, the economic sectors that were badly hit by the restrictions and the lockdowns imposed on us, leaving many of our kababayans desperate just to go through their everyday lives at the height of the pandemic.
And yet, as Filipinos have found in past decades, after our solemn remembrance of those who have left us comes the joy and the anticipation of Christmas and New Year.
It’s as if we’ve been all given the chance to pause for a moment and honor what was lost to us, and then move on, move forward and start preparing for the joyful holidays that we have sworn never to relinquish despite the growing challenges facing us.
There’s no doubt our celebration of Christmas and New Year will be tempered, not only by the still ongoing pandemic, but by the pressing economic and social challenges here and abroad.
But finally, this year, we are given the chance to remember our departed loved ones, re-connect with the people who are dear to us, and once again dare hope that the next year will be much better for ourselves and our country.