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A day of remembrance and prayer
Tacloban City (November 1, 2007) -- Set aside a few minutes to pray as a family and light a candle for peace and unity to reign in the country.

Each and every citizen must heed this exhortation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the Filipino people, as the country observes the annual celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

President Arroyo can not be more correct as she bemoaned the fact that because of the country's bad system of politics, the nation's progress is always hampered and stalled.

"Political discord stands in the way of our progress as a nation. It is the time for us to heal the wounds from our troubled past and join hands in confronting the myriad challenges of the future," the President said in a statement issued on the eve of the celebration.

Indeed, the observance of All Saints Day is an opportunity for the Filipino people to remember and pay respect to their departed loved ones. It is a time to reminish the good times with their departed beloved and to honor those who have passed away.

The Filipino way of honoring the dead is one of the most sentimental and romantic traditions where relatives and friends come home to pay homage to their beloved who have gone ahead to the Creator.

The rendevous is the cemetery where the most colorful and most beautiful flowers have been arranged, the most decorative and biggest candles are lighted and for many, the favorite food of the dearly beloved departed are brought and are partaken by the entire family, methink with the inclusion of the beloved departed.

So the All Saints Day celebration is a blend of happy and sad, or chaotic and hectic occasion.

Perhaps to make this occasion more relevant, the Filipino people should heed the President's call for the Filipino families to allocate a little time, amidst this celebration, to pray together and light a candle for peace and unity to reign in this nation. (PIA 8 )

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