Amid the challenges, changes and hardships that Lagunenses encountered in 2022, there’s no doubt that we will still find the energy and the motivation to make 2023 a much better year than the previous one.
There’s no doubt that 2022 could be termed a “year of change” for Filipinos and Lagunenses.
And we’re not just talking about the sudden changes in the province’s political front, but also of the effects brought by the Covid-19 pandemic to the lives and livelihood of the province’s 3.3 million residents.
Amid the challenges that this year had brought to us all, this year also marks the first time that we were able to celebrate Christmas and New Year in a spirit of celebration, hope and belonging after the restrictions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic were finally relaxed.
There’s no doubt as well that whatever uncertainties we still face in the year 2023, one thing is for sure: we still welcome the New Year expecting for the worst, but hoping for the best.
Covid-19 situation
For instance, Laguna province’s current Covid-19 situation is now a far cry from what we have all experienced early in January 2022 when the province, along with the entire country, experienced a sudden surge of Covid-19 cases.
Latest statistics from the Department of Health (DOH) show that Laguna province reported 278 additional Covid-19 cases from December 15 to 21 – a far cry from the all-time high of 11,658 cases reported from January 6 to 12.
The province’s weekly positivity rate, or the number of cases testing positive compared to the number of tested individuals, has also dropped to 7.6 percent by Christmas Day (December 25) compared to the 47 percent that was reported on January 9.
The current trend nowadays is also moving towards mild and asymptomatic cases, as evidenced by the fact that the province’s bed occupancy rate has dropped to 18.7 percent as of December 27.
Changes in the political front
But the real stunner in the province was the changes in leadership that were brought by the 2022 national and local elections.
In one of the most hotly-contested elections in Philippine history which saw the return of the Marcos family to the country’s political scene more than 30 years after the EDSA People Power Revolution in the person of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., new faces took over the local political scene in some areas in the province.
The cities of San Pedro, Cabuyao, and Calamba in particular saw long-entrenched political families defeated by up-and-coming candidates who have pledged to revitalize the economies of their cities, which have been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In other cities, such as Biñan City, the local government’s “pro-active” measures to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have proven to be the deciding factor for voters.
Experts have pointed out that this year’s elections in Laguna province have served as a barometer of sorts of how these local governments had served their constituencies during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Business back to normal
Many of the challenges these “newcomers” in Laguna’s political scene have to deal with concern the gradual recovery of the province’s economy that had been badly buffeted by the effects of the ongoing pandemic, as well as continuing uncertainties in the national and international economic scene.
It’s no secret that Laguna province’s main economic sectors – agriculture, tourism and manufacturing – have taken a beating due to the lockdowns and health restrictions imposed during the two-year period of the pandemic.
Many small businesses in the province, particularly in the “services sector” such as salons, barber shops, and small sari-sari stores, have to close their doors, some permanently, after sales nosedived due to the lockdowns.
In recent months, as the government finally loosened many of the Covid-19 restrictions and health protocols, business has once again boomed in Laguna province, with shopping centers, theme parks and other tourist destinations once again teeming with people.
Inflation biting hard
Still, there’s no escaping the fact that life is still harder for many Lagunenses even as business has returned to normal in time for the holiday season.
In the months after the May national and local elections, prices of petroleum products shot up to nearly P96 per liter due to global supply and demand issues caused by the war on Ukraine and the continuing effects of the pandemic.
This, in turn, drove the prices of basic commodities upward, as reflected in the “record-high” inflation rate of 8 percent recorded last November.
The now recurring joke among Lagunenses is that some basic agricultural products (particularly onions) have become more valuable Christmas gifts than jewelry or bags.
This has made Noche Buena preparations a greater challenge for many residents who were just recovering from the loss of their jobs or livelihood due to the pandemic.
Challenges to come
And economic experts now believe that the coming year is not going to be anymore better for us.
The continuing war on Ukraine, the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in China following the relaxation of the government’s “zero Covid” policy, projections of a recession in the global economy, and what many experts have seen as the “chaotic” economic policies of the current Marcos administrations can dampen whatever growth that has been posted with the return of normal life this year.
In a recent report, Nomura, a Japanese financial holding company said it sees a slower 4.3 percent economic growth for the Philippines for 2023, from the projected 6.7 percent this year.
“Amid a global growth downturn, we do not see domestic demand being as resilient as in the past, and hence overall economic performance is likely to weaken significantly, particularly in the first half of 2023,” the report said.
Even with these worrying reports, there’s no doubt that Filipinos will still find the energy and the motivation to make 2023 a much better year than the previous one.