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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Belenismo, mismo

Belenismo, mismo

Published Dec 11, 2023 04:13 pm

MEDIUM RARE

Jullie Y. Daza

What is Christmas without Belen, the Spanish derivative of Bethlehem, the little town where the Baby Jesus was born?


Christmas without the Nativity (Belen) would be nothing more than a long season of shopping and gift-giving, such as in non-Catholic countries where it is joyfully celebrated just the same with pine trees, lights and colorful decorations, and stories about Santa Claus and his reindeer. In 80 percent Catholic Philippines, Belen is also the name of a girl. (The Belen I know is a devout Catholic.)


Since 2007, the province of Tarlac has been the epicenter of the Belenismo fever and festival, a tribute to the tireless work of Dr. Isa Cojuangco Suntay and her mother, Isa Sr., to promote, through their Tarlac Heritage Foundation, Christmas as a Christ-centered event. As I remember it, decades ago there was a movement to remove Christ from Christmas by those trying to promote the season as X’mas, X to stand for the unknown.


The good news is that 16 years after its birth, Belenismo has become such an iconic celebration that the 2023 edition, which ended recently with the awarding of prizes for the best belens, attracted even non-Catholic participants. Overall, the entries were more sophisticated than those in previous years – no small feat, considering that every belen was made with recycled and recyclable materials, from plastic spoons and forks to drinking straws, crowns of cola bottles, wood, paper, and such. Participants were divided into several categories, including commercial, parish, school, barangay, individuals and families, even the Armed Forces of the Philippines. While the contest has ended, the festival, i.e., displays, will continue until Jan. 6, 2024, when the Christmas season ends, officially.


Dr. Suntay doesn’t know this yet but if you scramble the letters in the word Belenismo you will discover a secret: NOEL (!), which means Christmas, and SMILE. The art of the anagram (or lexigram) is as ancient as civilization.


On that note, and as it is Christmas, the season of giving, uncover the secret in the name of the new central bank governor, Eli Remolona, and see how it holds great promise for the banking system and People of the Philippines. Hidden in the governor’s name is MOOLA, and not only that, but MORE MOOLA. 

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