The word ‘new’ always has a positive ring to it, which explains why ‘the new year’ sounds so promising to Filipinos. It gives them a feeling of hope, especially in the wake of the recent catastrophes that befell the country. So what does the new year have in store for the Filipinos?
Come 2014 the Philippines will be looking forward to changes which will produce a state strong enough to resist the manipulation and influence of parochial groups and the wealthy elite. The oligarchs who have long entrenched themselves in the state will be disempowered with the creation of an autonomous and formidable state system.
New laws that will safeguard the national interest from the ruling elite will be enacted. Henceforth all national reforms which have been blocked by the entrenched elite because they do not coincide with their interests will now be able to proceed. The country will finally be given a make-over so to speak.
To name a few of these reforms: in agriculture, farmers who have long fought for land distribution will now have a chance to own the land they till. Local industries, particularly those with potential to penetrate the global market will be given subsidies and support by the government. Education will be the right of every child and not a privilege of the rich and the talented. Every Filipino will have a chance to pursue learning at all levels.
In conjunction with a stronger state, a new moral code will also surface in the political scene. Young and idealistic politicians will emerge. They will be more daring in tackling corruption among their peers, even the illegalities perpetrated by the so-called bigwigs and stalwarts in Philippine politics.
Crooked politicians will be exposed and tried. Transparency will be the name of the game. Filipinos who are thinking of entering the political arena will no longer be driven by self-aggrandisement but by the moral pre-eminence to serve. The service they render their country together with their untarnished record will be their passport to being elected leaders of the land.
Amidst a strong state and an end to corruption, Filipinos will witness the upward climb of the country’s economy. The country’s economic debacle which according to James Fallow’s “A damaged Culture” is due to the reign of corruption in the country will now be a thing of the past. As soon as this hindrance is eradicated, the country’s economic growth will gain pace. Soon the Philippines will join the ranks of its neighbours in economic prosperity.
When the country reaches this status of economic equality with its neighbours, it will be easier for the Philippines to assert itself in the international scene, particularly over issues concerning the country’s interest. Climate change, for example, will be vigorously discussed with other countries as the country’s geographical location makes it the likely recipient of the haphazard effects of the changing climate.
The Philippines will become a global player instead of merely a reactive player in seeking a global solution to this problem.
No longer the whipping boy in the region, it will also be emphatic about its geographical rights with-out fear of repercussions, economically or otherwise. The country, for instance, will confidently assert its right of dominion over the islands belonging to it.
The claims of China and other countries over the Panatag shoal and the Spratleys will be resolved diplomatically with all countries negotiating on an equal footing. This will culminate with the realisation of lasting peace in the West Philippines Seas and the surrounding areas.
Locally, peace will also be realised in the southern part of the country. The peace talks the MILF rebels push through, with all the stakeholders such as the MNLF and the Sultan of Sulu actively engaged in drafting the framework for peace in Mindanao. As a result, the cycle of lawlessness and poverty that has long plagued the region will finally end and the much awaited progress will not be far behind.
The same optimism will be felt in the regions that suffered under typhoon Yolanda. The whole country will continue to join hands in cleaning up and rebuilding the infrastructure of these regions. Political dynasties will set aside their bickering and instead will cooperate with each other in rebuilding the once commercially-thriving region.
What a great year 2014 will be!
But wait, none of the things I have written may even see the light of day in 2014. It may not happen even on the final day of that year, because I have not considered the realities as they are.
What I have written could be just the rantings of an old fool. There is no factual basis and no rational argument to support any of my claims. But all the same, it is the new year and my Pollyanna spirit of optimism emerges at the start of each year. Year after year I continue to hope and dream that the day will come when everything that I wish for ceases to be mere musings. If only.