Goodbye Flores de Mayo

The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines is planning to adopt the school calendar of the SUCs (State Universities and Colleges). This would mean that the opening of every school year to all DepEd schools will start on the first day of August and will end on the last day of May.

It may be recalled that CHED (Commission on Higher Education) approves all SUCs to change the academic calendar from June–March to August–May.

In Davao City, first to adopt this new CHED school calendar was the UP-Mindanao in Mintal in 2015 followed by USEP (University of Southeastern Philippines) in 2016. Just very recently, San Pedro College also opens their school year every August and ends every month of May.

Internalization is one of the basic reasons why CHED opted on academic calendar shift. Some higher education institutions like UP-Diliman and La Salle are engaged in student-exchange programs of which international students get to enroll in their universities and vice-versa. There are other universities that offer international exchange-programs for students and faculty members.

To harmonize this exchange program, the academic calendar has to shift too. It may be noted that only the Philippines (in the whole world) subscribe to June-March academic calendar. The rest of the world either opens their schools in August or September.

When I learned that DepEd is also contemplating to harmonize their academic calendar with that of the higher education institutions (HEIs), I said to myself “what will happen to Flores de Mayo?”

Would it be alright for the Catholic faithful and Catholic bishops to change the name from Flores de Mayo to Flores de Hunyo which would mean conducting the religious activity in the month of June instead of May.

I felt sad. I felt nostalgic.

I attended Flores de Mayo all of my childhood years in San Roque chapel in Lizada Street near Sta. Ana church. I remember I was chased several times by a dog because I trespassed to get flowers to be offered to Mama Mary. Yes! Young as I was then, I did not consider it stealing just as long as I have beautiful flowers for Mama Mary. I had fun with my friends scouring the neighborhood for flowers (oftentimes bougainvilleas). What I find best in Flores de Mayo is the culminating activity of which I get to see hundreds of young people like me in the CYO gym (now known as HCDC gym). Every year, I get to sing or dance or both as our presentation and I get to receive door prizes in the form of candies, chocolates, biscuits or the like. Nothing grand; nothing fancy. I had so much fun then.

I was a Flores de Mayo teacher when I was 18 years old until I was 21 years old in the same chapel. The neighborhood knew me as a Flores de mayo teacher more than anything else. When I transferred my residence in Lanang, I continued my Flores de Mayo activity even when I was already a college teacher. It was my summer activity for the Lord. I enjoyed praying the rosary with the kids; I enjoyed singing Marian songs with the kids; and I find joy in teaching my young students how to pray the rosary. The best activity would always be the daily offering of flowers to Mama Mary.

Today, Flores de Mayo is in jeopardy. If the plan of DepEd which is to harmonize the enrolment activity of all levels from the basic education, senior high school and CHED will push through 4-5 years from now, then we will all say “Goodbye Flores de Mayo”.