TODAY, May 7, 2023, is the last day of the first week of the month.
To Boholanos, May is considered the merriest and happiest month of the year.
Either town or barangay fiesta celebrations are held almost every day of the month. Surely, these events are not the usual occurrence in other provinces of the country.
It’s only in this island province of Dagohoy!
As a consequence, brothers, sisters and relatives who had been working abroad or domestically come home for the fiesta celebration.
Everybody yearns for the coming of the month of May for fiesta celebrations. This has always been considered a family reunion.
More importantly, it is in the month of May wherein the province of Bohol is filled to its brim in terms of population.
Therefore, who is that family member who does not feel happy during a family reunion which is also held at the same time on a fiesta day?
Despite the foregoing beautiful observations, it is, however, reminded to every Boholano to be extra careful in this month of May. If there are ups and downs in everything that everyone does, it is but logical that there are also ups and downs in every glory that the month of May will experience.
As told to Short Cuts by his parents during his grade school days, it is in the month of May that this island province of Bohol will slowly “submerge”. As explained to Short Cuts’ innocent mind, because of the influx of returning relatives and friends to the province, Bohol will slowly “sink”.
It is a fact, that inflow of visitors not seen by Short Cuts for almost four years – starting from the pandemic – was easily recognized even during the last day of April this year, the vesper day of the Feast of St. Joseph, the Patron Saint of this city.
This did not only happen in Tagbilaran during its fiesta. During Short Cuts’ fiesta visitations – for just one week – in barangays and towns in the province, old friends returning from abroad and those from Manila, Cebu and other provinces in the country were met.
More specifically in this particular month of May this year (2023)!
It is the first formal fiesta ever held after Covid – 19. Although some sitios, barangays, and towns were allowed fiesta celebrations last year (2022), the same were granted only on exceptional cases.
As far as Short Cuts’ memory could reveal, only those local government units with very low incidents of Covid-19 were allowed to celebrate in 2022.
In fact, many towns and barangays were – in that year – not permitted to celebrate!
So, with the increase of friends, relatives, and visitors coming home in this year’s fiesta celebration, Bohol may no longer be able to bear the increase in weight of its population.
Figuratively, it will slowly sink!
