It’s now 2026. The country rang in the new year with the usual fireworks (that killed a young boy) to drive away evil spirits and households rushed to complete the array of round fruits for good luck. Many wore polka dot dresses (dots round like coins) in hopes of making or getting more money. Many resort to consulting seers and feng shui “experts” on what to expect in the new year ahead. Then they buy the feng shui animal of the year (the horse this year) in its many permutations to decorate their houses with.

Although the number of Filipinos who are optimistic for the new year dropped significantly since 2009, probably due to the still unresolved massive corruption, it is still a high 89 percent. What makes us Filipinos so expectant of a good year, when year after year, we still have the same problems: massive poverty, extensive flooding, a deteriorating environment, and inflation?

Guess by nature, Filipinos are an optimistic lot. It is also because we are resilient that we tend to pass off our misfortunes as bearable and await better times. But sorry to burst your bubble. Nothing will change until we move for change. No amount of amulets, prayers, and good luck symbols will change our lot. As the saying goes: “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa (Mercy is with God, but action is with man).”

Our regional neighbors are already much better off than we are, with their economies in high gear and now sprinting far ahead of us in development and social orders. Pretty soon, countries still below us will overtake us at our rate of stagnation.

It reminds me of the tale of Juan Tamad, which older folks still remember. This guy was so lazy he would lie down underneath a guava tree waiting for the fruit to fall into his open mouth. Even if the fruit was within reach, he couldn’t be bothered to pluck it himself and expects the law of gravity to accomplish this small task for him.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor. Our “bahala na (come what may)” mentality still prevails. Others take short cuts, resorting to illegal and immoral acts, like stealing tax money. The vast majority who are impoverished seem resigned to their fate and expect nothing will change. Well, if you don’t move, nothing will change. Expecting a fortune to just drop onto your laps is a fantasy that keeps recurring in our minds.

Thus, we gamble. The more well-off hit the casinos and play like there’s no tomorrow. The poor can only afford “jueteng,” small town lottery, or lotto. My father used to buy whole booklets of lottery tickets, not really expecting to win but to give the ticket sellers some income to get by. Not unexpectedly, he never won any significant amount of money from decades of buying PCSO lottery tickets.

If we depend on pure luck, we will get nowhere. Gambling is so stacked against the bettor that one will walk away with only the shirt on their backs and empty pockets. The law of averages works against the ordinary person. Don’t envy the guy who strikes it rich by winning billions of pesos. He’s just one out of many millions who “got lucky.”

Better yet, resolve to work toward your goals with grit and determination. Are you a student? Study harder to get ahead and if you’re at the top of your class, you will have more opportunities of landing a scholarship. Are you a daily wage earner? Try to save a little each day. It is the small increments that will add up to something significant.

The same goes for our national scene. Do you expect our politicians to suddenly reverse course and perform their duties of serving the people? We vote the same names and families into office every election and expect them to improve our lives. This is the definition of insanity/stupidity (take your choice); do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. We ought to vote for a candidate with a good track record of integrity, hard work and genuine love for the people. You’ve tried your luck with dynasties and charlatans. Time to ditch them and go for better public officials. There’s no magic formula or good luck involved here.

Let’s resolve, for this year, to scrap the expectations of “swerte” and work toward our personal and national goals. For national goals, include putting continuing pressure on the government to pass the anti-dynasty bill (filed by the progressive groups) and to act resolutely against those who stole billions, if not trillions of our hard-earned taxes and put them in jail. Don’t forget to exert more pressure on recovering their ill-gotten wealth.

Let’s not be like Juan Tamad. Lucky charms won’t do either.