The title of a bestselling novel flashed in my mind as the country observes ‘Undas’ this week.
The holiday actually has nothing to do with the story in Ayn Rand’s celebrated semi-autobiographic novel – about life in post-revolutionary Russia – which I read from my university library’s collection of novels.
The novel, “We the Living” had a wide appeal to students at the tide of student activism in the Seventies as it was a statement against communism, an antithesis to the nobility of the ideals of the doctrine of collectivism.
While it was written and published in the mid-1930s, the historical fiction about three young people whose lives are sacrificed by a powerful state, is considered a classic and has been well loved across decades for its timeless appeal.
But as I mentioned earlier, the current connection is not ideological. It is socio-cultural as it has something to do with the observance of a tradition – in remembrance and honor of our dear departed loved ones.
We, the living, celebrate the occasion by visiting graves of kin and friends and offering prayers. For many families, it is homecoming time with the ports and terminals loaded shortly before and after the holiday.
Indeed, it’s an occasion for us, the living, to recollect memories of those close to our hearts who have gone ahead us in slipping into eternity and making sure that their legacies are preserved and recognized.
With my physical condition limiting my mobility, I had to settle with prayers and thoughts, thanking God for the blessings of my parents and other members of the family as well as friends who have left indelible marks in my heart and mind.
I would like to thank my relative, Eva Colimbo and family, for the visit, flowers and cleanup at my parents’ graves at Isio Public Cemetery.
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One global event affecting many Filipinos was barely observed locally early this week – on Oct. 29.
It’s the International Day of Care and Support, which the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said, is annually observed “to emphasize the importance of caregiving, recognize the contributions of caregivers, and advocate for policies and initiatives that support and enhance care in all its forms.”
Millions of Negrenses and other Filipinos are engaged in caregiving jobs not only in the country but also abroad, particularly in the light of increasing ageing populations across continents. The job demand is equally felt in childcare, which takes a great slice of the figures among overseas Filipino workers.
The day, in a capsule, emphasizes the need for better care for the carers, many of whom domestically may be unpaid as they extend services to family members.
Good for those who are paid, or those engaged in a wide range of services like nurses, teachers, doctors and personal care workers.
ESCAP said the issues range from “lack of benefits and protection, low wages or non-compensation, and exposure to physical, mental and, in some cases, sexual harm”.
Consider these numbers presented by the International Labor Organization to appreciate the relevance of the observance:
• The global care workforce comprises 249 million women and 132 million men.
• By 2030, the number of care recipients is predicted to reach 2.3 billion, driven by an additional 0.1 billion older persons and an additional 0.1 billion children aged 6 to 14 years.
• Women perform 76.2 per cent of the total amount of unpaid care work, 3.2 times more time than men.
The event reminds me of a study I helped conduct years back for the Silliman University inter-disciplinary research center on Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong.
For more than two weeks, I went to parks and other public spaces frequented by these women workers to find out their concerns about work, family and faith.
In the process, I learned about their stories, including their pains, and how they turned to God for fortitude, especially when things were getting tough.
So engaged and immersed was I in my data gathering that I did not notice I was being observed by policemen, who later tracked and ‘investigated’ me what I was doing and reminded me to refrain from doing more interviews. By then, I already had reached my target number of respondents.
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The International Labor Organization said that with the continued global demand for domestic workers and caregivers, it is committed to addressing inequalities “to make care work decent and to ensure a future of decent work for both women and men.”
The international observance is, indeed, a timely reminder that better care is deserved by caregivers.
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As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. (Psalm 103:13-16) | NWI
