"We have lots to do. Let us roll our sleeves up and begin working."
"We have lots to do. Let us roll our sleeves up and begin working."
It’s day one of 2021 as I write this. Because of the multiple major challenges in 2020, my family thought that many people would create noise and light up loads of fireworks to celebrate the end of an awful year and usher in another. After all, the tradition is to drive away all negative “spirits” and the hope is that the new year will be better.
It was not as we expected. Our yearly tradition is not to buy, but to savor the always magnificent fireworks show courtesy of our neighbors. We are lucky to have what we fondly call “torre” that gives us an excellent vantage point for watching fireworks. Indeed there were some really nice ones but it is much less than past years. Even the show put out by the local government was significantly less impressive.
Perhaps it’s the sorry state of the economy. The stuff is expensive. It is literally burning money. Perhaps some families lost loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic and were still mourning and in no mood to celebrate. Whatever the reasons were, the welcome given to 2021 at least in our area, paled in comparison with the New Year’s Eves of before.
2020 was quite difficult in many respects – natural calamities in the country and the pandemic that still plagues the world, coupled with incompetent and insensitive governance have brought many of our people down on their knees.
Millions of our people are jobless including the thousands of overseas workers who have since came back. A lot of businesses have closed down and more are collapsing. Tens of millions of informal workers have also lost their livelihood. Poverty is everywhere and many of our people have resorted to begging.
The super typhoons that hit the country toward the end of 2020 have left thousands of families homeless and have yet to recover from the devastation.
The number of COVID-19 infections is expected to rise again and the virus is mutating rapidly. While vaccination is now being done in other countries, it remains unclear when our vulnerable populations will have a chance at this life-saving vaccine. From day one of this pandemic, our health department, and the Inter Agency Task Force have been unable to effectively and efficiently address the problem.
How then will our people survive this dire situation? Where will they get the means to provide for their families especially in the light of statements from the president that government does not have any more money to help those in need? What is in store for our people this year?
Any which way I look at it, we face a bleak future and 2021 will be another difficult year. While I believe that the pandemic will somehow ebb because a vaccine will be available (at least to those who can afford it), providing vital basic services to our people and revitalizing the economy will be the main challenges. Creating employment will not be easy. Government will bear the brunt of addressing our woes and for our people’s sake, I am keeping my fingers crossed that this administration will significantly succeed.
Politics will play a most significant role this year because 2022 is a major election year. All positions from the presidency to the local government units will be up for grabs. Posturing of those with the ambition to run, and regrouping of politicians will happen this year. Expect the election circus to come to town.
Propaganda will target our people, especially the most vulnerable ones. We will again hear all sorts of promises, things that we have been wanting to get done by the government. In this respect, 2021 will most probably be an action-filled year.
We, the people have a lot to do, too. Those of us who can, should help our people. If we can, let us give to those needing assistance. Let us support the small Filipino businesses that are still surviving by buying local products and patronizing local businesses. Let us consciously prefer Filipino products and services. Support our farmers by buying their produce. Do not haggle when buying from vendors and small stalls. If we mind our actions, we will be able to help in more ways than one.
Politically, we must also do our job as enlightened citizens. Our votes in 2022 must be intelligent. But first, we must convince people to register so they are able to exercise their sacred right to choose who among those running deserve to be called public servants. This year, we can help build the constituency for good and capable individuals who may be convinced to be the people’s candidates.
We must patiently make people understand why electing the deserving ones is important and how doing this can positively impact their lives. We need to help in developing a mature and discerning electorate. The 2022 elections is most important if the country is to truly recover from our present debacle. We cannot afford to again fail in our choices.
So, 2021 should be a busy year. We have lots to do. Let us roll our sleeves up and begin working. Let us brace for 2021. May we be up to the challenge.
@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook
