Back in the days, there was a belief that whoever completes the nine-day Mass stands a good chance of having his or her wish come true.
DUBAI: If only they could have their cake and eat it too, InshaAllah… that will be the day!
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the UAE have three things on their wish list this Christmas: A reunion with their loved ones; salary increment; travel for the holidays preferably where there is snow.
This according to a TFT random survey where some 2,000 respondents across the UAE were asked their choices for Christmas in the following order: salary increment; reunion with loved ones; holiday travel; a new gadget; a new branded accessories or clothing as gift to one’s self. Multiple answers were allowed. A mere small fraction of the respondents said they will gift themselves with a new gadget or branded accessories and clothing.
Pinoy spirit of Christmas
The Pinoy spirit of Christmas hangs thick in the air like secrets lost. Carolers have started doing the rounds at the flats of Rigga and Muraqqabat in Deira; Satwa and Karama – where most overseas Filipino workers are.
Pinoy restaurants are now rolling out traditional yuletide comfort foods like bibingka and puto bumbong; even as enterprising OFWs begin taking in orders for leche flan, puto pao, rilyenong bangus, even lechon liempo – staples of the Christmas Eve feast – from those planning get-together parties during the holidays.
At the heart of all this is the traditional Simbang Gabi (Evening Mass) to be held starting Dec 15 at St. Mary’s Church in Dubai and St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi; culminating on the Christmas Eve Mass on the 24th of the month.
Wishes
Back in the days, there was a belief that whoever completes the nine-day Mass stands a good chance of having his or her wish come true. That adage has survived time and become among reasons why Filipinos get up at the break of dawn to go to church.
In the UAE, a slight modification was made such that the Holy Mass is heard in the evening instead of at 5am, which is the practice in the Philippines.
St. Mary’s Church will, for the first time, be holding dawn masses or Misa de Gallo because churchgoers attending the Evening Mass has kept growing bigger and bigger in number over time with organizers pegging it at 35,000 during last year’s.
Here then are the top three wishes of the OFWs in the following order, and why they are praying for it.
1.Reunion with loved ones.
Five of 10 respondents said they haven’t been home for Christmas in the past three to five years; three of 10 said they haven’t been so in over five years; while the remaining two said they make it a point to be in the Philippines for the yuletide holidays.
“Anytime pwede kitain ang pera,” said Allan Castro, graphic designer, “kaya lang yung makasama ang loved ones ngayong Pasko, lalo na among mga OFWs, bihirang bihira mangyari.”
Sports tourney organizer Marlon Cinco said that as Christmas “is all about love, there’s no better way to spend it than by being with the loved ones.”
“Mga materyal na bagay, pansamantala lang yan. At the end of the day, hahanapin mo pa rin ang Paskong kapiling ang pamilya. Family first ika nga.”
Amor Echague, who works in the medical field, has this to say: “First and foremost is to be with my nanay at tatay (mom and dad), makasama sila sa huling mga taon nila kase they are both 76 years old na. Second, of course is to travel with my family again, and lastly – increment.”
“Part of the privilege of working abroad is the ability to save up and buy things that you need, including small luxuries like bags and smartphones,” said social media strategist and vlogger, Anthony Deleon. “But of course, he added, “nothing can compare to the feeling of being able to spend Christmas with your loved ones back home – that would be priceless.”
Ciriaco Bautista, accountant, has a touching reason, too, why he prays to be home this Christmas: “After spending 10 years in Dubai without my family. I think I’d want to spend my Christmas with my siblings, nieces, nephews and in- laws as one at our ancestral home to have great bonding and love with them.”
Edwin Mendoza, professional photographer hasn’t seen his parents for a longer time: “Fifteen years na ako sa Dubai, 15 years na din ako di nag-papasko sa atin dahil sa nature ng work ko,” he said. “Kaya miss ko tatay at nanay ko tuwing pasko.”
Four years it is away from home for dental assistant, Fatima Reverente on Christmas; three for bank employee Jenine Espineli; and seven for engineer and pro photog Milo Torres.
Human Resource director Vagelyn Frederico said she also wants to be with her loved ones on Christmas and so does Marie Bernadette Jacobo Ortiguerra, marketing and communications asst. director at a five-star hotel.
Single mom Kelly Ignacio wants to see her two-year-old baby on Christmas. “My bunso na never ko pang nakasama sa Pasko,” she said.
2.Salary increment.
In the Philippines, and as Christmas is about spreading love and gifts, tradition has it that everyone, especially the elderly, spread money. This holds so true that this has also been cited to be among reasons why most companies give what is called as “13th Month Bonus” in December as mandated by law.
And this probably explains why an almost equal number of respondents who want to be with their loved ones on Christmas are also praying that their employers grant them salary increment.
“Wish ko lang naman,” said Christopher Garillo, nurse. “Para marami akong mapasaya ngayong Kapaskuhan.”
“Matagal na rin naman kasi ako sa kumpanya, nagpaparamdam na nga ako ng dagdag sweldo,” for his part, added Andrea Giyos, salon employee.
“Di ba nga naman ang saya?” quipped Remy Castro, hypermart cashier, “may increment ka na, makakasama mo pa mga mahal mo sa buhay – yun ang ‘sky’s the limit’ na Pasko.”
A salary increment, a sizable number of respondents said, would a go a long way addressing fiscal obligations like payments for condominium units they have signed a deal on or adding funds to ongoing small and medium enterprises in the Philippines.
3.Holiday travel.
This completes the package, the respondents said, for a perfect Christmas that has been long kept in wait – for what else could be asked for when they are having a holiday at say, Georgia, with their loved ones and a promise of a salary hike when they return for work in January?
Most checked these three items on the survey form, saying they could forego this third one if they can have the first two.
Choices range from anything European like London, Paris or Munich to a Central Asian destination like Azerbaijan; or in the former Eastern bloc countries like Armenia and Georgia – where plane fares and other expenses like room stay and restaurants are relatively less expensive and where there have been a booming number of
Filipino arrivals in the past few years, either for holiday or visa run. (Photos from last year’s Simbang Gabi by Vic Garcia)
