THE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE AND WHAT LIES AHEAD IN 2020

As a New Year and decade will usher, most households and establishments in the neighborhood will hold parties and indulge in merrymaking waiting for the awaited countdown. And by the stroke of midnight, the noisiest explosions and then most colorful pyrotechnics display will accompany the bell tolls and vehicle’s horns as everyone celebrate and welcome the New Year.

Many among us follow the tradition of preparing food, praying before the altar before eating. Red or colorful, polka dot dresses are worn and round fruits are offered to invite good vibes for 2020.

But beyond the noise and the merrymaking should be an honest assessment of what happened to us in the old year and be aware of the prospects in the new one. That is the essence of New Year’s resolutions.

Unfortunately, New Year’s resolutions are mainly becoming personal undertakings, something that one can brag about or post in his or her Facebook page. But, if only government officials adopted the practice of New Year’s resolution in governance, then, this could somehow significantly improve the governance, the government agency and the lives of the ordinary folks.

Imagine if the crafting of New Year’s resolutions would become an official practice in government, corrective measures made by our incumbent elective officials would improve our system, and government officials were made to account for what they did and what they have failed to do.

However, only few people take New Year’s resolution seriously and the admission of faults is too dependent on a person’s willingness to accept mistakes.

If every December becomes a period of accounting and after it renewal for the government, then our kind of governance could have changed for the better. Also, the practice of making New Year’s resolutions would become constraining and compelling.

There continue to be many sensitive issues that can trigger clashes and disagreements among us. But general temperature during this season, is much cooler, thanks largely to the ambiance of Christmas. Whatever is there that upsets us politically is moderated and softened by individual preparation for Christmas. Truly, Christmas and New Year in our country maintains its dominant energy of cheer, goodwill and dynamism. This should never change as time passed by. Ours is the longest Christmas celebration and is definitely the most exciting season of the year, observed in pomp, grandeur and pageantry.

What the people of Palawan is expecting this year? Of course, one of the most anticipated is the plebiscite this May 2020 that will determine the future of Palawan and its proposed division into three separate provinces. President Rodrigo R. Duterte already signed into law the Republic Act 11259, and its ratification will depend on the result of the plebiscite.

To all our readers, our warmest Christmas greetings and a very prosperous year 2020, the Year of the Rat!