Flores de mayo and santacruzan

Title

Language

English

Year

1952

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

MAY, 1952 in low, 2,084 pharmacists and 1,173 dentists to 136 in agriculture and 49 n thp four year course in industrial technology. This situation is like a gigantic parasite sucking the life-blood of the nation. The economic life of our nation is primarily agriculture. Yet in the above figures we see that in the last seven years we hove graduated only seven agricultural teachers and 136 bachelors of agriculture. At the same time we have turned out over 50,000 elementary school teachers and over 2,000 associates or bachelors in law and commerce. Small wonder that our teachers are starving. No one is being taught ro till our fields. Small wonder that our commerce graduates can find no jobs. There is no business, no commerce, because, like silly fools, we ate neglecting the golden soil of our farms. The government and all public-spirited citizens must act, and act SENATOR OSIAS GETS MIXED UP Recently Senator Osias, as chairman of an educational investigating commission, released a blast against private schools. He enumerated many glaring defects. It all seemed very true, except for one slight mistake. He was mixed up in only one word. If he and his Senatorial conferes had substituted the word public schools for private schools, their criticisms would have been all too true. What a comedy! These men, Osias, Pecson, Tafiada, and the other members of the Senate Commission, are government officials, and as such are largely responsible for the disgraceful, badly run, inadequately equipped government public school system. Nevertheless, they have the colossal nerve to excoriate the private schools which, in the overall picture, are doing so much to help the educational situation in the Philippines. We do not imply that all private schools are perfect. In the columns off the CROSS, we have in the post pointed out defects in our private schools. But it is absolutely unjust and unfair for our senate educational commission to violently criticize the private schools while they studiously avoid all mention of the widespread and terrible evils of the public schools for which they as government officials are responsible. “FLORES DE MAYO” AND “SANTACRUZAN” Moy. There is particular charm at the mere mention of that month. It recalls summer's brightest flowers, windy days with the scent of mango 10 THE CROSS blossom in the air, the uncertain light afternoon showers, and the quaint "santacruzans" at twilight. No other month of the year can boast of a more delightful atmosphere. In May the Philippines is at hbr best. "Santacruzans" and "Flores de Mayo" hove become characteristically native. Whether it be in the traffic-snarled city or in the secluded barrio the sight of a procession of children chanting the "Santa Maria" in shrill voices is as common in Moy as a balut vendor. "Santacruzans" un-adulteroted are the Philippines' proof of devotion to the Queen of Heaven in its simplicity and innocence. But like any innocent undertaking, "Santacruzans" in many parts of our country have undergone sorry changes at the hands of meddling adults. Sticking their fingers here ond there into the cake the elderlies have finally come out with a different brand of "santacruzans." Fancy costumes, gossiping "zagalas" and their consorts, and bewildered innocent children are the ingredients of their new experiment. , Thoughts of Our Lady as Queen of May, become afterthoughts, and the "Sonta Maria" sung out merely to supply syllables to the notes. It is deplorable that such practices are growing to be more common. What is holy has been made a mockery of. Perhaps it is only in~ the remote barrios beyond the reach of sophistry where these religious rituals still retain their purity and simplicity. It certainly is not giving much honor to the Mother of God nor is it saying much of their Faith if our Catholics persist in distorting the religious nature of our "Flores de Mayo" and "Santacruzahs." Faithfully and religiously practiced these May devotions become a'beautiful expression of our love to Our Lady. They are characteristically Filipino. Let us keep them so by keeping them sacred. MURDERERS-AT-LARGE We believe our ordinary citizen is tolerant. We think he is great at fence-sitting. Especially on matters that do not affect him directly. He dqes not give a' hoot if he finds that in his government a bad official is no longer exceptional or unusual. At least as long as the latter preys on the other fellow. The failure of a campaign by the Red Cross or the Community Chest does not concern him as long as the calamities are visiting another part of the country. He even finds the reckless jeepney driver bearable. But we doubt seriously if he could be tolerant enough to ignore a danger that directly menaces his own life and that of all the members of his family. For such a danger is now faced by every member of the community.

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