The Eid holidays are looked forward to by many Filipinos in the Kingdom as an opportunity for taking a break from the monotony of the daily grind. To others, it’s a chance to take time off from work for bonding with the family and friends.
“Many Filipinos stay mainly in the Saudi capital during Eid holidays. They stay at home during the day due to the extremely hot weather and go out at night to go to the malls to buy anything they need, such as souvenirs for their relatives and friends when they go home for annual vacations. They also buy their daily needs or they’re there merely for window shopping,” said Resty S. Sibug, Riyadh-based manager for a German firm.
Sometimes, he added, they are with friends for the sheer joy of being together on the occasion.
Others visit recreational places during the day, like the so-called “Kamsa-kamsa” in Hair area outside the capital city. The place is called “Kamsa-kamsa” because the entrance fee is SR5 per person. Sometimes, the fee is SR10 when there are many people going there to pass time away, specially on weekends.
Many Filipino families also go to strahas outside the city where they spend the whole night. “On the first night of the Eid holidays, eight of us families will go to a istraha inside the Dirab Golf Course. We’ll bring food and discuss various topics under the sun,” said Jun Bantug who works for a local bank.
Once there, they’d talk about everything under the sun. “It could be about the improving Philippine economy, the southwest monsoon which spawned torrential rains that resulted in flash floods in Metro Manila and adjoining provinces, or the non-inclusion of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in the shortlist of Supreme Court justices from whom President Benigno Aquino lll will select a chief justice ,” he said.
Other Filipino families, observe the Eid holidays in different ways. They drive to the Eastern Province and stay in a hotel or with relatives or friends for a day or two. From there, some proceed to Bahrain. Others go to Dubai for both vacation and shopping. While many take the plane, others drive for many hours.
The long drive makes them closer as family. Caring for each other is engendered. They could hardly do it in the Philippines where commuting is cheaper than owning a car whose maintenance is high.
