Remember 2024?

I looked back at my articles this year. It’s amazing how some events built up and bubbled up to a boiling point towards this end of the year. On the other hand, some events shift from one point to its opposite extreme. Still, some pop up and fizzle out.

“The Vice President’s confidential funds were denied with the President being silent all along. Then, finally, former Senator Leila de Lima whom former President Duterte wanted so much to rot the rest of her life in jail, was freed on bail, with her cases looking to be acquitted. Then, after that, the ICC was suddenly welcome to the country, as opposed to President BBM’s initial stand that the Philippines is capable to administer its own justice system. Then, recently, budget allotment for the district of Congressman Paolo Duterte was stripped off of 2 billion pesos. Can someone please educate me on what this Bagong Pilipinas Movement kick-off rally is all about? Then, right after that, (or was it simultaneous?), VP Duterte attends another rally in Davao, which is said to be against charter change. “

This was from my article, “North vs. South” published last January. I forgot that things were heating up even then.

Speaking of heat…

“Finally, authorities have admitted with a directive encompassing all public schools across the entire nation that this intense heat is seriously dangerous at a national level, and not relative to location and specific environs of a school, that suspension of in-person classes has to be left to school heads. There was a claim that a very small percentage of schools have implemented distance learning opposite the thousands of schools that retained face-to-face classes; seemingly implying that this heat is an issue that is overblown out of proportion and the great majority is just doing fine under the tortures of the tropical sun. (Yes, this is my fifth article in a row about the heat. Please bear with me.) The children need this. It is nice that classes in many public schools were cut to half-day, on the morning only. But in that schedule, the kids go home, walking, riding a pedicab, tricycle or jeepney, or even a private vehicle with air conditioning at high noon to face the very perils that they are being prevented from suffering. Is it not ironically ridiculous? Class schedule is supposedly cut to keep the children safe from the heat, yet by doing so, they are led to the very danger that they are purposely kept safe from. Even if the schedule were inverted to the afternoon, they would still have to make the commute in the opposite direction going through the same health threatening heat.”

This was from the article, “Still About the Heat”, published last May. Then, it was extreme heat. Now, it’s about extreme rain and floods.

“Maybe, the Chinese are not really here for territorial conquest which if I might add is not a thing of the past, because Russia does it. Maybe, it’s for business. That’s good, isn’t it? Well, most of the time, it could be illegal business. Maybe, their people in government are there to protect the business, so that it could keep going to rake in cash, undisturbed by the government because they have people in there. I don’t know if that’s better than finding out that they’re here to destabilize the national government. But that’s still not good for the nation.”

“According to reports, the mayor registered as a voter just less than two years before the election on which she ran and won. At least, they don’t have political dynasties in their town; and the electorate are willing to give opportunities to new politicians. But, on the other hand, could it have been better if the post had been won by a long-time resident whom the constituents have known for a long time. “

Remember Alice Guo? This is from the article, “What are they really up to?” also published last May. Now, we seem to have gotten tired of hearing about her.

“We really took a beating from the last string of storms. NASA, yes, as in National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the American space agency that sends astronauts to space, has called this month’s “parade” of typhoons in the Philippines as unusual and extraordinary. Yes, it does come with the season. But, recently, the storms have overlapped in frequency and grew in intensity. The blame is placed on climate change, and the agency warns that it could get worse all the more. What are we to do then?”

This was from the article, “Pepito’s out. Who’s next?” published just last month. It’s still fresh on the memory.

Next year, let’s brace ourselves for the elections.

“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.” Proverbs 24:27