The recent statement from the Office of the Executive Secretary urging government offices to scale down Christmas celebrations is both timely and commendable. It reflects a deep understanding of the need for solidarity as our country faces the aftermath of successive typhoons. By encouraging austerity, the government ensures that resources are redirected to where they are needed most: our fellow Filipinos rebuilding their lives.
The Executive Secretary’s call resonates deeply with the spirit of Bayanihan — a spirit that defines us as Filipinos. It reminds us that while celebrations bring joy, the true meaning of Christmas lies in compassion, generosity and shared recovery. Yet in this pursuit of compassion, there lies a unique opportunity: to transform every peso spent into support for our local economy and communities.
A Call for Purposeful Spending
While scaled-down celebrations conserve resources, spending does not have to stop — it can be redirected. Every individual, family, government office, and even calamity victim receiving assistance can play a vital role in uplifting our economy. Through thoughtful, intentional spending, the shift can empower Filipino businesses, producers and workers.
Let this Christmas season mark the beginning of a larger, sustained movement — one that inspires Filipinos to prioritize local goods and services not just during the holidays, but all year round, every year! A campaign centered on purposeful spending can achieve three interconnected goals:
Support Local Livelihoods: Redirect holiday and everyday spending toward Filipino small businesses, farmers and artisans. Whether it’s food for a family gathering, decorations, or gifts, choosing local products injects much-needed resources into our economy;
Empower Communities: Calamity-hit areas can participate in recovery by producing goods and services. Government offices, individuals and organizations can source items and essentials directly from these communities, ensuring they are not just recipients of aid but active contributors to the economy; and
Promote Economic Resilience: By making Filipino-made products and services a year-round priority, every purchase contributes to sustained growth. Supporting local industries helps create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and build national economic resilience.
A New Movement: ‘Kalinga Para sa Bayan’
To ensure this effort extends beyond Christmas, let us launch a national campaign that speaks to its compassionate roots and economic purpose. Let us call it “Kalinga Para sa Bayan” (Care for the Nation) — a campaign that underscores our shared responsibility to uplift one another through meaningful economic action.
Kalinga Para sa Bayan is more than just a holiday initiative; it is a call to action for every Filipino to prioritize local goods and services year-round. From households to businesses, government agencies to calamity victims receiving cash assistance, every effort to support Filipino products becomes an act of care, unity, and empowerment.
The Executive Secretary’s statement provides the perfect foundation for this movement. It signals the need for austerity while inviting us to reflect on our shared responsibility as Filipinos. Redirecting resources to those in need does not mean withholding economic activity — it means transforming spending into meaningful support that endures well beyond the holidays.
Imagine the collective impact if every peso spent during Christmas and beyond were to support a local farmer, artisan, or small business owner. Imagine if families receiving assistance from the government were encouraged to buy Filipino goods, stimulating demand while meeting their needs. It’s a win-win scenario — a campaign that uplifts both hearts and livelihoods, season after season.
A Lasting Vision for Our Nation
Let this Christmas be the start of something greater — a movement of care and empowerment that grows stronger with each passing year. By embracing Kalinga Para sa Bayan, we commit to uplifting our economy, empowering Filipino workers and building resilience for future generations.
Let this be a moment to lead by example to government offices: Simplify celebrations, yes, but direct spending to local suppliers. To Filipino families, consider the power of your purchases to support our mga kababayan. To calamity victims receiving cash assistance, know that every peso spent on Filipino goods helps your family and others work hard to recover.
This Christmas, let us respond to the Executive Secretary’s call with purpose and unity. Let Kalinga Para sa Bayan be our guide — a movement celebrating compassion through action and economic empowerment.
By choosing local, we create ripples of change — empowering livelihoods, supporting recovery and building resilience for the future. Compassion and economic empowerment are not opposing forces; together, they form the foundation of a stronger, more united Philippines.
Let this season be remembered not just as a time of giving but as the moment we began a lasting movement where care, unity and purpose empower every Filipino.
The author is a former president of the Management Association of the Philippines, former secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, and former president of the University of the Philippines. Feedback at map@map.org.ph and aepascual@gmail.com.