Christmas Giving – Scrooge or Not? - from Illustrado
By Sherry Tenorio
Let’s face it. It has become difficult to simply give love on Christmas Day – especially if the wishlist consists of an iPad, a Louis Vuitton bag, a DSLR camera, a sleek laptop, and so on. And the financial pressure escalates with the size of one’s family, circle of friends, or even neighborhood back home. This month, Illustrado explores the shopping carts of the Pinoys in the Middle East, to find out if, after all the economic difficulties in the past, we are still generous Santas geared to make our loved ones material wishes come true, or we’re sending out Hallmark cards with the words, ‘it’s the thought that counts.’
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At this time of the year, it has been observed that one of the most asked questions between Pinoy expats is: “Uuwi ka ba sa Pasko?” And more often than not, the answer is either – “Oo, excited na nga ako kahit malaki gastos” or “Hindi, magastos umuwi pag Pasko.” With these remarks, it would seem that the common notion about celebrating Christmas back home is now correlated to spending too much money. Although every one would perhaps want to come home for Christmas, the financial expenses that could exhaust a year’s savings and credit card limit have become hindrances. From peak season air fare, to ‘pasalubongs,’ plus budget for the season’s festivities, spending the holidays with families in the Philippines has been a challenging task for most international Filipinos.
But even those who opt to stay away from their families are also financially-challenged, as they still try to make up for their absence by sending home generous gifts – cameras, cell phones, clothes, shoes, expensive bags, even jewelries – usually sent through ‘balikbayan boxes’.
It is very sweet and thoughtful of Pinoys to provide for their families the way they do. Yet, do Pinoys abroad need to be overly generous (even those who can afford to be) this Christmas, considering the financial difficulties of the past years, and the economic uncertainties in the future? Or, shall they be pragmatic and resort to giving inexpensive yet still thoughtful gifts to their loved ones? Where do Pinoys draw the line when it comes to being generous?
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