It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like… September In some places, September means new notebooks, cooler weather, and pumpkin spice. In the Philippines, it means Christmas—unapologetically and at full blast. The moment the calendar hits a “ber,” parols are unearthed from storage, fairy lights go up, and Jose Mari Chan resumes his throne as if September were written into his contract. Somewhere in the background, Mariah Carey begins her slow annual thaw, but here she is only the glamorous guest star. The undisputed king of Christmas is Chan, smiling from every radio and mall speaker like an early herald of glad tidings. And if Earth, Wind & Fire once sang of remembering the 21st night of September, Filipinos might answer, “Of course—we were already three weeks into Christmas.” To the uninitiated, it looks at first like a marketing stunt. Coca-Cola may have painted Santa Claus into red velvet, but in Manila he’s been given a four-month tropical assignment. By September 1, mall spea...