HOTSPOT
As I write this, the songs “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carrey and “Christmas in our Hearts” by Jose Mari Chan are back on the airwaves and through streaming, to herald the start of the world’s longest Christmas season.
From our country to everyone else’s, we Filipinos are set to surprise the world with the year’s earliest “Merry Christmas” greetings. This would certainly trend worldwide this weekend, and land us yet in global news. This is an annual tradition we don’t intend to break even in this year that’s full of challenges.
Not that we don’t mind the runaway prices of rice, basic goods, and petroleum products, and increases in LRT and MRT fares. We do, especially the lower middle-class and working-class families. The times are not good to the poor, and those struggling to step up to the middle class. The Christmas spirit emboldens people to work even harder, take up extra jobs, and do whatever’s necessary for families to enjoy the coming holidays.
Overseas Filipino workers are closely following the news about the economy. They have families to feed, clothe and send to school. They now have to work extra hard in order to remit more dollars to make up for the higher prices and higher cost of living in the country.
Nationwide, the teachers are back teaching, the students studying. Workers are moving the economy forward, while professionals are busy providing their expertise in various fields. Jeepney and bus drivers are plying the roads, market vendors are selling. Even advocates are busy pushing various reforms, non-government organizations filling the void government cannot fill. Everyone’s working hard.
The big question this Christmas is whether government would do its part as well by controlling the prices, ensuring adequate supply, addressing the shortages, catching the smugglers, and taking whatever extra steps are needed. Faced with high inflation, increasing business profits and rising worker productivity, let’s see if the President would call on Congress to heed the demand of Philippine labor unions for a legislated nationwide across-the-board wage increase.
Apart from addressing economic issues, people are waiting for President Marcos to weigh in on the the serious cases of abuse purportedly committed by men in uniform, as the incidents betray public trust and add to the many worries of families. Would the President console and fight for justice for the families of John Frances Ompad and Jemboy Baltazar? What would he say or do to the Mandaluyong police chief found positive for drug use? Would he order the military to obey the Court of Appeals order to surface Bazoo de Jesus, Dexter Capuyan and other disappeared activists, and give marching orders to put a stop to red-tagging?
Would the President order immigration authorities to stop giving Filipino travelers headaches and heartaches at airports, and instead order law enforcers to find, apprehend and charge the top human traffickers and illegal recruiters?
Would the President also finally appoint a Secretary of Agriculture, to take charge of this important portfolio, and to enable him to focus on his job as Chief Executive?
The point is, Filipinos are doing their job and doing their part. The President must do so too, and reciprocate especially at this challenging time when people look up to government to take bold steps to help us get out of the rut.
With less than 115 days before Christmas and about 120 days before 2024, that’s enough time for the President to take bold actions to make the much-anticipated holidays meaningful and reciprocate the people’s efforts to make it merry and happy.