Despite the trials that we have endured in the past 11 months of 2024, one thing is for certain: nothing’s going to stop us from celebrating Christmas.
If the opening salvos of various local government units (LGUs) and private establishments during the first week of December are an indicative sample, it’s clear that Lagunenses will not let past storms dampen what has always been a family-and-friends occasion.
And there’s good news for us all Lagunenses: our economic sector performed better than expected last year.
According to our country's official statisticians, Laguna province has regained its status as one of the top economic drivers in the Philippines in 2023.
Our province’s economy expanded by 3.9 percent, rising from P990.44 billion in 2022 to P1.029 trillion last year, making us the top contributor to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).
In a province where wholesale and retail trade has been cited as one of the leading sectors of economic growth, this is certainly a good sign. This meant more jobs, which in turn translates to more livelihood opportunities, particularly among the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector.
This meant that, despite the recent string of weather disturbances that once again threatened to disrupt our economy, we could all expect to have a “Merry Christmas” this year.
Meanwhile, here’s something for us to think about: Christmas has always been touted as a season of giving and sharing.
And what better way of showing that spirit than by “paying it forward” to those who were affected by the recent calamities that had struck our province?
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #Editorial #ChristmasCelebration2024