Pne thing we do not agree is marking a Father's Day. In the first place, who made such celebration?

Is there a legal basis to celebrate Father's Day? There is none. In the absence of a law declaring a Father's Day, the Civil Code in the Philippines, inter alia, provided to refer us to the decisions of the courts under the principle of “stare decisis et non quieta movere” which means to stand by decisions and not disturb the undisturbed. Or even to our public order, public policy and our customs. There is no public order or public policy declaring a Father's Day. During the lifetime our late father, Victor, we could not recall marking a Father's Day to him. Art. 11 of the Civil Code mandated that a custom must be proved as a fact, according to the rules of evidence. No Filipino custom could hint that Filipinos really mark a day in the year as a Father's Day or even a Mother's Day or even a Children's Day or a Grandparents Day.

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Others contend that it is part of our customs and traditions. Just like the angelus and the blessings from your parents and grandparents. But these are part of our religious practices. Unfortunately, there were customs and traditions in the past which we do not observe now. Why, because it has no commercial value to business establishments. For instance, the so-called “pamalaye” where the parents of the man will go to the house of the woman and tell her parents of the intention of the man to marry their daughter. Today, the said custom and tradition has long been forgotten. Women got married because they are either pregnant. Others simply go into live in.

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In other words, there is no custom as the basis of celebrating Father's Day. The celebration of the Father's Day or even the Mother's Day is purely commercial. Simply stated, celebrating the father's or mother's day would be tantamount to marking also the celebrations for the children's day or the grandparent's day or to anybody in the family. And that would be marking the celebrations of everybody. Being a highly commercial celebration, only the fast foods, restaurants, the beaches, swimming pools, theaters and the like will be taking advantage of the so-called celebrations such as the Father's Day.

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Everybody has to spend in order to mark the celebration. Your children and your wife will buy presents for us, the fathers, who in turn, will spend also to treat the entire family for a meal in the fast foods and restaurants or go to the beaches, swimming polls or to theaters. The celebration of a Father's Day must involve spending money. Others may quarrel us for this. They would say that the celebration of the Father's Day could be had by having a bonding time in the family. Where to spend your bonding time, at home? With our ultra-sophisticated society nowadays, no one stays at home to bond with their families.

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Bonding time is usually spent in theaters, in the beaches and swimming pools, at the park or at the mall. This means that you have to spend money too. Ergo, we cannot tolerate marking the so-called Father's Day. For us, every day is a father's day and be a father to your family. Telling your wife and your children how we love them in both words and in deeds is a father's day. That is how to be a father. We spend money to bond with our family in any day. We treat our family for meal in the fast foods, in restaurants, in the beaches and swimming pools, in theaters at any time of the year. Pardon us for the term, but the bottom line is fathers, like us, have to spend money in order to mark the so-called Father's Day. For us, to hell is Father's Day.

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On the other hand, there are men who have several families. How do they mark the celebration, a multiple Father's Day? We are referring to those men who have one legal wife and many illegal wives. These men do not want to call them as mistresses, they call them as girlfriends. Some guys are really that lucky. They enjoy the best of both worlds. Or even the multiple worlds at that. These men should be the one who should mark a Father's Day when they have to retreat themselves back into their legal family. There are also children who despise their fathers, wives who nagging their husbands all days of the year. These wives and children should better mark a Father's Day today. To give their husbands and fathers a sigh of relief even for just one day.

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POSTSCRIPT: Today, Merly marks her natal day. This is the best way to celebrate the day. Not because today is a Father's Day. It is always great to mark birthdays because of God's blessing for life, good health and family. In the end, we have to spend the celebration because it is Merly's birthday. At any rate, we have Nang Fe Bantugan in the house once again, so she better take charge of the preparations. Thank you Nang Fe.…There's more when we come back.