TIS the season for rejoicing, to be jolly, everyone seems to acclaim. Why, it is almost Christmas, others chime in. Well, yes, it is, but there are things we need to do first and foremost, like mending fences and restoring confidence of people who have suffered due to successive calamities.

Yes, while we anxiously anticipate the coming Christmas celebrations, there are among us who still laboriously strive to get up from the disasters which befell them and there seems to be no end in sight for their misery.

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The Christian world starts November with the All Saints' Day, or as seen in Wikipedia, formerly All Hallows Day, a Christian holy day and is celebrated on November 1. The day before, says the info bank, Halloween is "All Hallows Eve".

There will be more rains in November says our Pagasa and it is better that we are properly forewarned. It is good that the much-publicized super typhoon Santi did not make widespread collateral damage on the country, but still it did bring winds and rain on some parts of Southern Luzon and Metro Manila.

November, ah, sweet November

As a prelude to the most anticipated event of the year, Christmas, this month ushers in another awaited activity: the filing of certificates of candidacy of aspirants for elective posts, from the president down to the municipal councilors for the May 2010 elections.

At the center of all activities is the Commission on Elections which shall supervise, monitor and handle and distribute all election paraphernalia, conduct the election proper and thereafter tabulate and announce the results. With the much-vaunted automated counting machines, we hope that the results will be known, not in agonizing days or months, but in considerable shorter period of time.

Do we still doubt the reliability of the costly automated counting machines? You bet, we do because the operators are only human and can commit blunders.

Who then should oversee the operators and check on their work? Is it farfetched to suggest that the results can also be tarnished and manipulated? Can the operators be bought and therefore manipulated?

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Politics is the lifeblood of Philippine life and existence. Everyone wants to occupy a public post, saying beforehand that he or she wants to serve the people but once elected, the people they swore to serve become mere servants. What is so enticing in politics? What glitter does guile aspirants to throw in their hats into the political arena, all in the guise of public service?

And what about the political dynasties which have been lording over the political scene as far as one can remember? Would their tenure be extended as far as time can allow? Wala na bang iba?

Am sure, there are others who are more deserving to be called to serve. Where then lies the fault that we never mature politically?

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Milestones. Mabalacat Mayor Marino "Boking" P. Morales will observe his 59th natal day on November 15, some five days before the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy. Call it coincidence or suerte but the charismatic mayor thinks November is his lucky month, well, for obvious reasons.

For those who do not know it yet, Mayor Boking will fight for his second term come May 2010 and he is confident he can top all his opponents with a considerable convincing score.

Mrs. Aida Tolentino of the Mabalacat Municipal Agriculturist Office passed away last week; ditto with chess player Rey Basilio and bus terminal monitor Able Tayag. To their families, I say: Condolence and I share in your grief.