Be kind

The start of a new year is supposed to be a time of new beginnings, a new page, a new start; out with the old, in with the new. But of course life doesn’t work like that. A new calendar year may mean, for some, a new fiscal year, but for most of us, it’s a continuation – more of the same, same old same old. Which may not necessarily be a bad thing, for some things aren’t meant to change; in fact, shouldn’t really be changed.

While some things would certainly benefit from a refresh, habits and practices that work should be carried over into the new year. New year’s resolutions – start exercising, go on a diet/eat healthy, meet deadlines, keep to a budget – are a good thing, even if they are rarely carried through to December, or not even to March!

There is one resolution that we should and hopefully will carry out each day of this new year. Last Christmas we were told to be kind; life is hard for many Filipinos, not just financially or materially. Coping with modern life, day after day, is challenging, to say the least. We can help each other out, help ease the stress (not add to it), even with just a smile, a kind word, an encouraging “Kaya mo yan!” or a hand extended to family, friend or even a stranger.

Let’s be kind for the next 365 days, and hopefully it’ll become a habit that will last for many more 365 days to come.

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2025 left us with a lot of unfinished business; I’m sure personally there are numerous things we should complete this new year.

For our country that is sometimes so hard to love but which we love anyway, there are some big-ticket items carried over into 2026. Top of the list is the national budget, not yet signed since the President and an unidentified working group are going over the P6.793-trillion outlay page by page (there are over 4,000 pages). I hope the fine-toothed comb they are reportedly using will be able to get rid of the “soft pork” embedded into the budget, under whatever name these pork-hungry legislators have devised to camouflage their cholesterol fix.

The livestreaming of the bicam was supposed to prevent any of the insertions that dotted the 2025 budget (which will be reenacted for about a week until the President signs the new budget). But I’m sure the liempo and lomo (the soft pork) were put in place – and probably agreed upon – by the sneaky lawmakers before the budget bill went to bicam. So the citizens’ role of vigilance should carry over to 2026.

Then there is the flood control/infra scam that was started by the President last July with his “Mahiya naman kayo!” Based on the Palace’s latest pronouncement, there should be some notable people in jail by now, a postponement from “no Merry Christmas” to “no Happy New Year.” But so far, our jails haven’t welcomed any real VIPs (meaning legislators) – yet, I hope.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure is finally sputtering to a close, with not much to show for all the hype that attended its formation in September. So we should continue to demand accountability, justice and restitution, otherwise this will go the way of earlier scams – to the dustbin of infamy and the major scammers will happily live to steal another day.

And then there is the EDSA rehab, started on Dec. 24 and is expected to last at least until May. Going to work the day after Christmas, I ignored admonitions of “avoid EDSA” and decided to check out the rehab; how bad could it be? Baaaad. From Boni in Mandaluyong to Buendia in Makati, a little over five kilometers, took over an hour; it gives new meaning to inching your way forward.

Stuck in traffic, I was able to admire though that in just two days a significant stretch of the bus lane had been asphalted – I suppose with the “new” SMA (stone mastic asphalt) technology (not so new really, since it has been around since the 1960s and used in many cities abroad) – and the next lane seems prepped for asphalting. I trust the new, improved DPWH to have thoroughly vetted the private contractor undertaking the rehab, as the latter seems to be doing a good job – with up-to-standard materials (the asphalt looks pretty thick and should hold when the rains come) and maybe – hopefully – even ahead of the May completion schedule of the Roxas-Orense stretch.

The past three days have been a big and pleasant surprise – traversing EDSA was a breeze! Whether it was due to most people having gone on holiday or they stayed away after the initial shock of the horrendous traffic last week, it took me just 35 minutes to get from San Juan to NAIA-X, about the same time it took me pre-EDSA rehab. I hope that come Jan. 5, when roadworks will only be done at night (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.), all lanes will be open for use by the public during the day so that, with work and school resuming, traffic will not be such a nightmare. 

My little adventure on EDSA last Friday made me quite late for work so I missed the daily editorial meeting, and of course if you’re absent you become the topic of conversation and the butt of jokes – and fake news. “May Chinese nagwawala sa EDSA” was proposed as a story for the Metro section. I have to debunk “in the strongest possible terms” that bit of misinformation: I did not rage (make wala), I did not curse (make mura, except at the stupid driver who kept changing lanes). I had the Christmas collection on Spotify playing on a loop – listening to Adeste Fidelis six or seven times wasn’t bad at all – and those familiar carols did evoke peace on earth, goodwill to man. And so yes, I was calm, and kind, and I’m not about to let EDSA be the grinch that steals kindness.

A blessed, peaceful and kind New Year to all. Mabuhay!