Catholic Infant Baptism : Is it really that expensive?

I remember when I was still young kahit hanggang ngayon, I always hear some people saying 'Hindi muna kami magpapabinyag, wala kasing budget.' So I thought that it is really that expensive to be baptized in a Catholic Church.

I just learned how much it really was when I had my second child. Di ko na kasi matandaan magkano binayaran namin with my eldest because that was ages ago. Iba-iba din pala pricing kada simbahan. It ranges from ₱300-₱500. Kasama na ang isang pair ng sponsor. If you will add additional ninong/ninang that would cost you naman ₱20-60 per sponsor. And if special day like gusto mo ikaw lang magpapabinyag, it would be ₱1,000 more or less.

For me, hindi naman pala ganoon kamahal ang magpabinyag. So what really makes it expensive for others? I read a post in one of my mommy group na they spent ₱60,000.00 for their son's christening. My jaw dropped. I can't imagine myself spending that much. Dagdag saving na lang siguro for the kids. Pero siyempre if you have naman the money to spend, why not coconut? Yung hindi lang maganda is yung mababaon sa utang just for a one day event.

The baptism itself is not really expensive. Yung pakain yung nakakamahal. That's why when my second child and my bunso was baptized we didn't invite any of their ninong/ninang kasi ayaw namin silang abalahin dahil wala naman kaming pakain. We are just blessed lang din na even that was the case, they were still generous to give my kids 'pakimkim' and some gifts. Lagi lang proxy si Mama and my sibs as a witness sa binyag. We celebrate it naman kahit papaano but within the family lang.

Our reasons naman din kasi of not having a grand celebration are, first, both of my kids were born during the pandemic, my husband and I are not that comfortable yet to expose them to different kind of people in a close-knit gathering, and second, because of the pandemic, our finances changed. We don't have 'the budget' for extra-curricular activities like parties. Kaya we are very thankful na 'yung nakuha naming ninong/ninang are very understanding with our current circumstance.

The most important thing lang talaga is ma-bless 'yung mga bata for them to enter the covenant of God and to receive God's grace. That's why the earlier the person comes for baptism, the better. ❤️