Double Baptizimal Planning 5 Months Ahead

[chris49]

SHORT VERSION: Caitlin is 2 yrs 6 months, Kyle is 11 months. Kids will be enrolling in private catholic school by the age of 5. Grade 1 starts around the 6th birthday.

 

There is no delaying proceedings. Everyone who has been in the Philippines even a short time knows this is one of those "Filipino Thingy's" which is 100% mandatory. Don't fight it, you will torture your brain and waste energy in the process.

 

 

LONG VERSION: I prefer to have forum members advise me first. It is now 1 June and we plan 8 November.

So 5 months out with a fixed budget of 50k....50, 000 pesos.

 

So I will give Gina 50k and tell her to roll with that?  I PROMISE YOU I WILL NOT.

 

STRATEGY:

 

1. We are raising 3 pigs separate for the occasion. They should go well over 100 kg. We might use 2, selling one for emergency money if we run short. Or as they say we will decide 2 days ahead if we need all 3, the 3rd one might be used for lechon, depends on the size.

 

2. We do raise a few chickens, 30 chicks at around 50 days out from the occasion. Chickens always handy in the household, before and after the event so we don't always run to the market.

 

3.Church and the Priest. Got that in hand, mother in law and her side of the family are long standing members. We get it free, but there will be a donation, 2-3k.

 

4. Printed invitations, I don't know yet how much but we have to have them.

 

5. Tarpaulin/Banner announces the occasion.

 

6. Tables, chairs, canopy, maybe 2 tents. Barangay has some, might have to rent.

 

7 . Plates and cutlery, we will be short no doubt, so might borrow, but some additional.

 

8. Entertainment. Videoke is mandatory. We may have a disco with a sound system for a few hours, videoke

can follow that.

 

9. Drinks and alcohol. As of now unlimited, 4x4, Empi, Red Horse as the guests like. Red wine for my Aussie guests or another selection but for them only.

 

10.Godfathers and Godmothers, here in the north, 50 names is not unusual and we have 2 kids here. Let me say 10+10 on each side so 40 total. They usually give a small donation, so try to get that and expand the drinks, maybe later on.

 

So that's just preliminary, now soliciting ideas.

 

50,000 on the day. Not including the raising and feeding of pigs and chickens.

 

[brock]

Cant understand this Chris....My baby Baptized a couple of weeks ago, Told the wife not to be silly with the spending, And she spent 2000p,

That was for a dress for the baby, food and drink.

[chris49]

Which would coincide with my views Brock.

 

Where do you live? No close relos close by?

 

We live in Barangay of under 100 houses, about 230 registered voters, half would be relatives. This is a long standing custom here in the north, weddings, baptisimals, day of burial and first year memorial. Birthdays and anniversaries no, but home comings from USA do demand a big party. Whole barangay is invited or if not invited it is a long standing tradition that any resident can drop by, and they will.

 

I am not impressed by it, but I'm not totally against it. I have a few Aussies coming up which is a positive on my side. It also "pays back" some of the invites we get over the year. It get to the point where you are going to be asked how many pigs we are going to slaughter, and one is not an acceptable answer. To balance this I have told Gina we have a 5 month savings plan for the event.

 

My mates do invite me out in Manila occasionally, and we will have a few more return invites here. Also 40 godfather's and mothers, we may pick up about 10k there in donations.

[MacBubba]

We live in Barangay of under 100 houses, about 230 registered voters, half would be relatives. This is a long standing custom here in the north, weddings, baptisimals, day of burial and first year memorial. Birthdays and anniversaries no, but home comings from USA do demand a big party. Whole barangay is invited or if not invited it is a long standing tradition that any resident can drop by, and they will. I am not impressed by it, but I'm not totally against it.

 

That's the spirit!  You're showing respect for their tradition.  (It is not the same as being expected to pay for the lechon at every party you attend just because they think you can afford it.)

 

You have a sound strategy for the 5 months leading up to it.

[chris49]

Thanks Mac.

 

I do employ the trade off. Here consolidating 3 birthdays into the day of the baptism. Here's where good communication comes in. So I often write it down and keep the notes available for Gina see. As a woman, not only Filipina but as a woman, they are prone to saying "Why didn't you tell me"?

Edited June 2, 2015 by chris49

[MacBubba]

they are prone to saying "Why didn't you tell me"?

 

Oh, come on!  That would make me a woman too!

[chris49]

Ha ha ha, nice example of the double standard at work.  I actually do so that with prurient enjoyment even.

 

Today is 2nd Jun. Day 2 of the 5 month plan. Already advantage to me, 1-0 very early in the first quarter. I get to crack the whip on finances here and can easily cite the baptism.

[Larry45]

Cant understand this Chris....My baby Baptized a couple of weeks ago, Told the wife not to be silly with the spending, And she spent 2000p,

That was for a dress for the baby, food and drink.

Same here.  We had ours when daughter was 6 months old and it was about 20 in attendance and 30 more at reception afterwards.  One pig, some fish and crabs, a few side dishes, and lots of booze.  Probably p5000 total cost, but it was invitation only, and the pig was a gift.   Also Chris, don't forget the gifts for the sponsors...some little commemorative souvenir item.  Those are a nice gesture.   :thumbsup:       

[Thomas]

Cant understand this Chris....My baby Baptized a couple of weeks ago, Told the wife not to be silly with the spending, And she spent 2000p,

That was for a dress for the baby, food and drink.

Yes. One of my Filipina friends were satisfied with spending 5000p at baptising her first born son (including paying priest, godmothers and godfathers.) and 20 000p at wedding...

 

My gf is economical, but I believe she will find it to hard to stand pressure from her family and friends, but I have told her she can blame me, when explaining for her embarrasing things to them   :lol:    (I know one of her aunts did spend 17 000p only at pigs when celebrating just a school exam for a daughter, so I suppouse there will be some pressure.)  I will not say ok to crazy spending anyway, but I can compromize A BIT concerning things like this, because I know Filipinos love celebrating "everything" even "exams" from kindergarden   :hystery:

[chris49]

One pig costs minimum 12k Larry so can't be 5k. 

 

On the momento, yes, just told it to Gina, she gave me the nod.

 

Larry, the other caveat on the 50k budget is my pension is above 60k, if they push it over, then we shut down the rest of Nov. I have used this strategy before.it quickly forces the idle ones to think about what they are going to eat. One bro in law has a remittance from his wife in Kuwait, and we rarely see a centavo from that.

 

OOPS, you did say the pig was a gift, however, if you are giving out the total, the cost you are quoting to others eg as advice, would be around 20k

Edited June 2, 2015 by chris49