Oh yes, it’s October! (and Christmas is at the corner)

OCTOBER. Although almost over, it’s a month filled with celebrations and events of worthwhile causes.

October comes swiftly as the gusts of unpredictable winds along with the flurry of activities typically observed during the month.

Foremost of these observances is the National Children’s Month in recognition of the Filipino children’s role in nation-building as per Proclamation No. 267 issued in 1993. And then you remember the children in your to-buy-gift list with barely 60 days to Christmas.

With the approaching holidays and the expected shopping madness, it is only apt that consumers are made aware of their rights and responsibilities given the abundance of low quality toys, assorted consumer goods, and appliances that may flood the market. R.A. 7397 that took effect in 1992 declares October as Consumer Welfare Month.

The late President Corazon Aquino issued a proclamation in 1990 declaring the month of October every year as the National Statistics Month. In 2004, President Arroyo also set aside the month as the Cooperative Month to foster the creation and growth of cooperatives as a vehicle for promoting self-reliance.

But for every pupil in Bohol’s Catholic schools, October means bringing the holy rosary to school every day with the celebration of the Rosary Month while school pilgrimages and other activities related to the Marian devotion are also held. Then, there’s the United Nations Day and the Scouting Month celebrations that get everyone in the family busy looking for international costumes and preparing for the much-anticipated school camping.

Pink is the color of the month as all over the world, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It can also be green as World Food Day is celebrated on the 16th of October and locally, the Bohol Initiators of Sustainable Agriculture and Development (BISAD) buds anew.

For the party crowd, the month is cherished with Oktoberfest and this year, we saw a handful of parties in Tagbilaran and nearby environs to celebrate the famous event held annually in Germany.

And lest we forget, it was mid-October, exactly on the 15th in the year 2013 that the 7.2 magnitude earthquake jolted us all and the Boholano spirit of voluntarism and resiliency we always try to celebrate each year since then.

For whatever reason, the many events in October usher in a busier season as Christmas draws near with each passing day. (Sonieta D. Labasan)