There’s no such thing as summer in the Philippines. What we think we have refers to the hottest period of the year, between late March or early April and May. Pinoys, however, love to take a bite of everything that sounds Western, the inappropriate way of calling this season has stuck.But who cares about using the wrong word to describe the second merriest time of the year next to Christmas? As Shakespeare once intoned, “What’s in a name?”
Enjoying summer doesn’t have to be expensive to make someone impressive on social media. So whine not if you can’t afford the high-end resorts and beaches. Forget Boracay or El Nido if the budget isn’t enough at the moment.
So, like what your parents and grandparents did as children, seek life’s simple joys. Go out and enjoy the sun, sea and sand without worrying on the cost. Climb hills and mountains. Cross rivers and streams. Share laughter and stories with loved ones and friends under the shade of trees. Pitch tent in the meadow and reminisce memories under the stars.
This was how the older generations savored summer. No frills, just the innate human longing to enjoy a brief gift of time.
In the provinces, people would highlight summer with fiestas honoring and thanking their patron saints for a good harvest. Yet, with the crop damage caused by a dry spell in many parts of Mindanao the traditional merrymaking would have to wait for better times.
Meanwhile, the charm of summer beckons.
