A new year for fresh wishes and hope

IT'S THE new year 2022. To some pessimists and skeptics, they would say: O nanu pa ita? To some optimists and visionaries, it would be: a new start, a new ball game, so let's start, let's begin with gusto, with a bang!

Looking back, the years 2020 and 2021 were not that attractive, with 2020 seeing the height of the deadly disease and 2021 repeating the same dull moments, albeit with some gratifying instances.

The dying moments of 2021 saw the super typhoon Odette wrecking havoc on the Visayas and Mindanao areas, leaving the residents therein nothing but fear and apprehension, coupled with destruction of their homes and sources of livelihood. Damage to property and crops ran to billions of pesos.

Our president will surely try to assuage our collective misery by saying the government is ready to extend comfort to our beleaguered countrymen and encourage us to move on fearlessly and firmly amidst the pandemic and lack of resources. Well...

The year 2022 will usher in the May national and local elections with the candidates outdoing each other with various propaganda schemes persuading us voters to vote for them because they will improve our lives and bring progress to our country. Ah, but haven't we grown tired of the same boring routine?

It has been reported that other countries have pledged to donate towards thre rehabilitation of houses of typhoon Odette victims, provide food, medicines and other needs, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank by way of loans.

Then, why should President Duterte express hopelessness over the lack of required funds to help the typhoon victims? Why should the national government not prepare for such disasters and provide aid to the disaster victims? And, who would account for these donations and pledges of the international community?

It has been our sorry practice to scrounge for funds every time disasters strike in our country.

With the P5 trillion budget nearly passed for 2022, I suppose every disaster has been prepared for by the government and, therefore, there is no need to scramble furiously, di ba?