Caroling, silenced by COVID, survives trying times

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MANILA, Philippines—For the last two years, tight health restrictions ushered in by the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered how Filipinos celebrated Christmas.

It’s well known that the Philippines has the longest period of Christmas celebration—four months—which shows how big a deal the holiday season is to Filipinos.

But one thing many people consider as essential in the celebration—regardless of age or gender—are the melodies of Christmas carols wafting in the air at your doorstep.

Whether you’re the type who enjoys every carol and listens to it until the end or who’s choosy in giving pamasko (Christmas gift) to the most harmonious caroler or who simply dismisses carolers with a stern patatawarin (sorry) there should be a collective agreement that carols embody the Christmas spirit.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a paradigm shift in Christmas traditions for Filipinos—attending simbang gabi (midnight Mass), monito-monita (exchanging gifts), noche buena (Christmas dinner) and even media noche (New Year dinner)—and didn’t spare caroling.

In most parts of the country, caroling used to start as early as September 1 and continue after Christmas until New Year. But in the last two years, most of the streets were void of children, the elderly or simply talented musicians singing Christmas carols.

The absence of these holiday hymns on the streets made the pandemic silence deafening.

But in 2022, with health restrictions getting lifted as COVID-19 cases reached levels that are acceptable for the government to do so, the once loud celebration of Christmas has started to return, albeit, slowly.

One group in Cavite province, for example, is taking stock of caroling as a tradition, the difficult times it went through during the pandemic and the flicker of hope it now sees as life, generally, starts to return to normal or a new normal as some would have it.

The General Mariano Alvarez (GMA, a town in Cavite) chapter of Youth for Christ (YFC), a Catholic youth ministry under Couples for Christ, boasts of almost 200 members.

As a group, YFC dedicated itself to evangelical efforts and finds Christmas even more important, treating caroling as, like the old adage says, cherry on top.

According to the current head of the YFC GMA chapter, Matthew Mendoza, the group has been going house-to-house for Christmas carols for as long as he can remember.

“I can’t remember when we started caroling but our past ates (elder sister) and kuyas (elder brother) have already been doing Christmas carols,” Mendoza said.

Caroling, he said, has been a tradition for his group even before he joined it, describing it as a practice that “allowed the chapter to simultaneously have fun and praise God.”

“It really meant a lot to us, because through caroling, we were already preparing ourselves for the birth of Jesus Christ by singing joyful songs,” Mendoza said.

The tradition also allowed the chapter to raise funds for get-together parties on Christmas and New Year’s Day, he said.

These gatherings, said Mendoza, helped members bond and cherish moments together.

Members of the YFC-GMA chapter about to go caroling, circa 2015. PHOTO FROM KIANNE DUBLADO

But when the pandemic struck, Mendoza said not only were their Christmas traditions altered, but also their daily routines.

This disheartened the chapter, as the group solidified its bond through communal work and celebrations.

“It was really sad for us that we couldn’t go to our traditional caroling but we understood the situation,” he said.

“We were a little bit disappointed but we accepted the fact that we needed to stay home for the safety of everyone,” he added.

He said he had been serving as head of the chapter for four years, with most of these years marked by the pandemic.

“[Thinking about it now] it is really sad, because it took away a lot of time from us, especially from me. I’m not getting younger anymore,” he said.

But Mendoza said he and the chapter persevered, introducing new ways to continue their routines, like using online platforms to gather.

“As chapter head, I had to remain positive, and as the elder member of the group, I must be able to handle these kinds of situations well,” he said.

Now that the government has begun easing COVID restrictions, Mendoza said the chapter has been revitalized with excitement especially as Christmas draws closer.

He said he is celebrating what could be a new-found freedom to go caroling again. “It gives us excitement because we waited for this for so long,” said Mendoza.

But he admitted that the group remains wary of COVID.

He called on the government to continue implementing health and safety protocols to ensure that a surge in COVID cases does not happen again.

Mendoza said while his group is brimming in excitement over lifting of restrictions, the decision to go caroling again depends largely on the COVID situation.

“I will always consider my members if they are comfortable already to have face to face caroling, so as of this moment, we are still considering the number of [COVID-19] cases,” he said.

Some members of the YFC GMA chapter, circa 2017. PHOTO FROM KIANNE DUBLADO

But if the chapter persevered through tougher times, Mendoza said he believes only a brighter future awaits.

TSB