The dust has settled from the May 12 midterm elections, and everybody has accepted the will of the people.
Now is the perfect opportunity to ask: What challenges do our new (and returning) leaders in Laguna province face?
Of course, judging from past surveys, it’s not far-fetched to say that economic issues will still be one point the electorate wants the new set of leaders to focus on as they prepare to assume their posts on June 30.
As this newsmagazine had pointed out earlier, despite glowing reports recently fielded by state statisticians of subsiding inflation rates and impressive economic growth in the Calabarzon region, the fact is that surviving on a day-to-day basis remains a challenge for many of us.
Lest we forget, our agriculture sector has reported a dismal negative growth trend due to the effects of weather disturbances, increasing urbanization and industrialization, and policies that have favored importation over improving the lot of our farmers.
We’re also plagued with the same old issues and problems: improving our basic services and infrastructure, adapting to the increasingly vicious and unpredictable effects of climate change, and ensuring that our province’s economic growth is equitably distributed to all parts of the province.
The challenge is now on the next set of governors, vice governors, representatives, mayors and local legislators to innovate and find better ways to solve the same old issues that continue to plague our region.
Otherwise, it’s going to be these same old issues that will confront whoever the people will choose as their new leaders come 2028.