For Lagunenses who have endured hardships in 2023 – even as the local socio-economic situation finally returned to normal--there is reason to believe that the coming year will be filled with blessings and good fortune.
Be optimistic, yes – but be cautious.
A new year is always reason for hope, and this coming new year of 2024 is no exception.
For Lagunenses who have endured hardships in 2023 – even as the local socio-economic situation finally returned to normal (or, as we would have termed it at the height of the pandemic, the “old normal”), there is still reason to believe that the coming year will be filled with blessings and good fortune.
Not so fast, however, some analysts say, as there are still signs and symptoms that the year 2024 will still be a year of uncertainty and anxiety for Laguna residents.
Full recovery?
If the years 2020 to 2022 can be considered as “annus horribilis” (year of horrors) for Lagunenses who have endured great economic hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic, 2023 can be considered the year when the local economy regained its momentum.
“Ito ang taon kung kailan talagang nakarekober ang lokal na ekonomiya mula sa naging epekto ng pandemiya ng Covid-19. Nakita natin ito sa muling pagbubukas ng maraming mga negosyo na napurnada dahil sa pandemiya, na naging dahilan naman upang makabalik sa trabaho ang marami nating mga kababayan na nawalan ng kabuhayan dahil sa pandemiya,” one analyst told OpinYon Laguna.
Judging by the recent boom in the number of large shopping centers in the province – the most recent being the SM Center San Pedro in San Pedro City, which opened last October – local business groups and LGUs have expressed confidence that this momentum of economic turnaround will be maintained in the new year.
Still, there are still signs that all may not be well for the local economy in 2024.
There’s still the possibility that the province’s once-thriving agricultural sector will still be hurt by the recent decision of the national government to extend lower tariffs for imported agricultural products such as rice, corn and meat products until December 2024.
There’s also growing concern that the government’s relentless push for public utility vehicle modernization could jeopardize jeepney drivers and commuters alike in Laguna, particularly as the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) has met with strong opposition from transport groups.
As of this writing, the Supreme Court has yet to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) following a petition by transport groups to suspend the December 31, 2023 deadline for the consolidation of franchises of traditional jeepneys.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has given a “grace period” of up to January 31, 2024 for jeepney drivers who have yet to consolidate their franchises.
Pre-election heat
2024 will also be a key year in the province’s political history as this will be the year local politicians who will vie for positions in the 2025 midterm elections are set to confirm their plans at the filing of certificates of candidacy.
Political analysts say this will be the year when the currently swirling rumors about who’s going to run against whom, as OpinYon Laguna had speculated a few months before, will finally be confirmed.
“Dito na magkakaalaman kung sino ang tatakbo at kung kaninong ambisyon ang mapupurnada sa 2025. Kailangang maging ‘vigilant’ ang mga botante natin sa kritikal na panahong ito, lalo na’t gayong hindi naman uso sa Laguna ang election-related violence, asahan pa rin natin na magiging mas mainit at mahigpit ang labanan ngayon pa lang,” one analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told OpinYon Laguna.
Still hopeful, but...
Meanwhile, it now appears that more and more Filipinos are adopting the "optimistic yet cautious" approach in welcoming 2024.
A recent survey by Pulse Asia showed that 92 percent of Filipinos say they will face the coming new year with “hope” – a number unchanged from 2022 – while a separate survey from the Social Weather Station (SWS) showed that around 96 percent of adult Filipinos are entering the New Year with hope, the highest recorded since before the pandemic struck.
“Amidst the various challenges Filipinos face on a daily basis, most of them continue to remain optimistic, with 92 percent saying they will face the new year with hope,” Pulse Asia noted.
Take note, however—the same survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed that only 30 percent from the same set of respondents said their families will celebrate a “more prosperous” Christmas and New Year, a 13-percent drop from the same period in 2022.
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