FILIPINOS TO WELCOME 2023 A MID LOTS OF UNCERTAINTIES
Five days from now, more than 113 million Filipinos will welcome the New Year with much hope and optimism their lives would be better under the Marcos government.
This despite witnessing that this government seems to be on the wrong track in fulfilling its promises made during the elections and first State of the Nation Address.
Foremost, there is the campaign promise of the President to lower the price of rice to P20 a kilo, but the current situation is showing the direct opposite as prices of prime commodities, including rice, keep on increasing.
This is further aggravated by the soaring prices of fuel products affecting the lives of millions of Filipinos, especially average Filipino families.
Recent surveys show there is a growing number of Filipinos who are unhappy with how the Marcos government is handling the country’s increasing inflation rate and that majority of Filipinos have difficulty coping with increasing prices both in commodities and cost of living, especially in the urban centers
The year 2022 also gave Filipinos a glimpse on how this government handles post disaster response as seen in the wake of the July 27 magnitude 7.0 quake and Typhoon Paeng that caused havoc to many areas from Northern Luzon to Southern Mindanao.
It is our wish that no other disaster would hit the country before this year ends, as it would be disheartening to witness more suffering brought by natural calamities during the Yuletide holidays like in the previous years.
Likewise, there is a growing discontent among Filipinos even as publicists try to project the President and some ranking government officials to be working hard in bringing in foreign investments into the country following a public outcry that millions were spent when the President and his team were spotted at the exclusive F1 Paddock Club during Formula 1 Grand Prix Race in Singapore in September.
But on the local front, there is a glimmer of hope that life will be better in the years to come, especially for the poor households, as officials and government offices are apparently exerting their best efforts to reach out to their constituents with their respective programs and projects.
This is reflected in an earlier report that the Cordillera posted the lowest number of poor households among 17 regions in the country and the number has been decreasing since 2012. Clearly, this is a manifestation that our local leaders and concerned government agencies are on the right track in improving the lives of families in this highland region.
It is our wish that the spirit of cheer will overflow to the depressed and devastated Filipino families, especially those recovering from the prolonged impact of the pandemic, the recent typhoon, and other disasters.
More importantly, it is our wish that President Marcos will make good his campaign promises and put to action the programs and projects he outlined in his first SONA to give justice to the millions of Filipinos who had high expectations in the beginning that this government would lead us to progress with fairness and propriety.
For now, let hope be the spirit with which we let this challenging year pass and as we welcome the year to come.