Daily Times

The Philippines boasts one of the world’s longest Christmas seasons, kicking off in September with fairy lights and artificial trees decorating malls, festive tunes on the radio and party-packed calendars.

But the coronavirus pandemic looks set to be the grinch that spoils the four-month-long celebration this year.

Gatherings are banned, night-time curfews are in force, church attendance is limited, and many are broke after measures to contain the virus devastated the economy and left millions jobless.

Philippine crooner Jose Mari Chan, whose song “Christmas In Our Hearts” heralds the start of the festivities when it hits the airwaves on September 1, summed it up: “Sadness surrounds us.”

Family get-togethers, karaoke parties and lavish spending on gifts, which usually mark the countdown to Christmas, have been upended.

But despite the bleak conditions, fiesta-loving Filipinos say they are determined to stop the virus from stealing all their Christmas cheer.

“With or without Covid we have to celebrate Christmas whatever it takes, this is a Filipino tradition,” said Cecilia Moore, wearing a mandatory mask as she paid 2,500 pesos ($52) for festive lights to decorate her home.

Her husband temporarily lost his job on an oil tanker when the country went into lockdown in March, hurting the family’s finances.

But Moore said she needed something colourful to dispel the gloom hanging over her family.

“Even though times are hard, we still buy lanterns to make us happy,” the 32-year-old said. It is not clear why Filipinos start celebrating Christmas in September — months before most other countries — but sociologist Yellowbelle Duaqui said it could be cultural: they love to party.

“Filipino hospitality is known to be the best in the world… we love to entertain,” she said.

Jeffrey Lopez, who makes festive lights in San Fernando near Manila, said he has been flat out since reopening in August after a two-month shutdown. Sales reach 40,000 pesos a day and more than twice that on weekends — similar to pre-pandemic levels.