Over at Facebook at around this time, people would again be posting essays looking back at the passing year. This is my contribution.

There’s something missing in the run up to the Christmas and New Year this soon-to-end 2025.

As more revelations unfold and public outrage boils over the brazen corruption of flood control funds, public officials and generally the upper class have practically stopped posting photos or videos of their normally glitzy, profligate Christmas parties. They know they cannot possibly do so without serious repercussions.

All public officials and their relatives and partners in the private sector are in the defensive as we say goodbye to 2025 and usher in 2026. The officials who claimed P500 is enough for a decent noche buena for a family are quiet too.

Congress is actually still in session this week, as they try their best (or worst) to approve a budget many of us are looking at with a “suyod.” The people are looking for pork, whether “allocables,” “unprogrammed funds,” or “confidential funds.” The President too cannot afford to go on a Christmas break until both houses of Congress ratify and transmit the budget for his signature. (I’m writing this ahead of time, so I don’t know if lawmakers manage to finish the budget by the 28th.)

The last time we saw government under this intense pressure was around 2013 and 2014, when we stood and rallied against congressional and presidential pork until the Supreme Court struck them down.

For me, 2025 has been a bag full of surprises. Duterte Youth partylist has been destroyed. Former President Duterte was arrested and sent to The Hague. Two opposition senators were elected. In between, Pope Francis and Nora Aunor died. DZMM went back on air. In many parts of the year, many areas of the country were inundated by rains and floods, and Cebu endured a strong temblor. Artificial intelligence marches forward and everywhere.

In this age of on-demand, always-breaking news, many seem overwhelmed by all the things that have happened and are happening.

I forgot who first wrote it, but what still consoles me is that life goes on despite all the bad news, and because of all the good news. The senior high school students graduate and pass the UPCAT and other college examinations. Graduates of professional courses pass the boards, licensure and bar exams. The teachers teach, the farmers produce our food, the workers keep the industry going, the journalists fan out to report on the news, the activists mobilize the public for important causes, the artists create, the riders deliver goods and passengers, the market vendors and supermarket staff report for work, the athletes compete and win, the overseas Filipino workers work for themselves and their families, the cemetery staff bury our dead, and so on.

There may be a lot of cynicism, a sense of helplessness, or even apathy, but we fought on and survived this 2025.

In fact, hundreds of thousands protested on Sept. 21 and Nov. 30 for the Trillion Peso March and Baha sa Luneta. The entire system and political dynasties are now on the defensive for their collective inability to deliver their promises of prosperity, and all the traditional politicians could do now is to blame one another in true traditional political fashion. Many people are now returning their promissory notes.

Some may divide us a hundred ways – Dilawan, Kakampink, DDS, loyalists, or by religion, language, region or tribe – but we also discover that we share thousands of other important things. Creativity, humor, music, concern for others, love of animals and the environment, respect for work, unstinting devotion to our athletes and to our new and old favorite sports, good government, patriotism, a sense of pride for our diverse culture and our beautiful country, and an aspiration to a better country worthy of our effort and which we can bequeath to future generations.

I am confident that, if we shut off the self-serving noises of the politicos warring among themselves, we can find this huge sensible common ground where “important” differences actually matter much less and focus on what’s truly essential. Let’s take advantage of the situation right now, with politicians and their henchmen finding and putting themselves in the defensive.

With 2025 passing on and 2026 marching forward, my wish for everyone: “Fresh eyes” to look at ourselves and at our situation in the coming new year. If the new year offers individuals a fresh start, maybe we could also give one to us as a people and to our country. A new first quarter storm of change sounds exciting and possible.