MANILA, Philippines – The lessons obtained throughout 2019 should be brought into the incoming year, Vice President Leni Robredo told Filipinos on Tuesday.
According to the Robredo’s New Year message, the remaining hours of 2019 could be used to reflect and ponder on what has transpired, and to think about the most important aspects for nation-building.
“Sa ating pagsalubong sa 2020, gamitin sana natin ang panahong ito upang magbalik-tanaw sa nagdaang taon—para sariwain ang magagandang alaala na ating pinagsaluhan, at baunin ang mahahalagang mga aral na ating natutunan,” she said.
“Bago tayo bumalik sa ating mga trabaho at kanya-kanyang mga pinagkakaabalahan sa araw-araw, sana ay huminto muna tayo sumandali upang pagnilayan ang mga bagay na tunay na mahalaga—sa ating sarili, sa ating kapwa at mga mahal sa buhay, at sa ating Inang Bansa,” she added.
(In welcoming 2020, we should use this time to reminisce on the past year, to remember the good memories we shared, and to bring the important lessons we earned. Before we go back to our jobs and daily activities, let us pause for a while to reflect on things that are truly important for ourselves, for our neighbors, for our loved ones, and for our motherland.)
Robredo also vowed to continue her various anti-poverty programs, where she visits poor and far-flung communities to offer help in the form of livelihood projects, financial aids, and infrastructure and material assistance.
“Sa gitna ng lahat ng ingay sa ating panahon, nananatiling malinaw ang pangarap natin para sa ating bayan: isang mas maginhawa at mas magandang buhay para sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” Robredo claimed.
“Sa pagpasok ng bagong taon, patuloy natin itong pagsusumikapan sa ating pagbaba sa pinakamalalayo, pinakamaliliit, at pinakamahihirap na komunidad sa ating bansa,” she noted.
(In the midst of all the noise today, our dream for the country remains clear: a more comfortable and more beautiful life for each Filipino family. With the entrance of the new year, we would continuously strive to visit the farthest, smallest, and most impoverished communities in the country.)
The year 2019 has been a mixture of ups and downs for the country’s second-highest official, who is also the opposition’s figurehead. Robredo started the early part of the year campaigning for the Otso Diretso senatorial candidates, an eight-person slate featuring various opposition figures from different parties.
However, during the 2019 midterm elections, none of the opposition candidates managed to land a spot in the Magic 12, losing to candidates backed by either President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban or Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
In the latter part of the year, Robredo’s criticisms on the war on drugs landed her the co-chairperson seat of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). This was due to President Duterte’s dare for her after she supposedly asked the drug war to end.
After accepting the post, Robredo pushed for the scrapping of Oplan Tokhang, the police’s main project against illegal drugs, the strengthening of community-based rehabilitation efforts, and the creation of a baseline data on the drug war.
But 18 days after, Duterte fired her after allegedly talking to foreign organizations rebuked by the government — something that Robredo deemed “fake news” as she only talked with the United States Embassy and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, both involved in the drug war even before she came into the picture.
Just recently, Robredo was asked to describe her ICAD stint, to which she jokingly said was a transition from a “drug czar to drug ‘char.’”
READ: From drug czar to drug ‘char’: Robredo contemplates on brief ICAD stint
Despite these events, Robredo is still hopeful that things would turn out for the better.
“Salubungin sana natin ang bagong taon nang may pag-asa sa ating mga mata, galak sa ating mga puso at ngiti sa ating mga labi—ngiti na nagsasabing sa kabila ng lahat ng ating pinagdaanan at pagdadaanan pa, ay napakaraming bagay na dapat din nating ipagpasalamat,” she said.
“Muli, isang manigong bagong taon po sa inyo mula sa aming pamilya at sa Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo. Mabuhay po kayo!” she added.
(Let us welcome the new year with hope in our eyes, joy in our hearts, and smiles on our faces — smiles telling us that despite what we went through and will go through, there are a lot of things to be thankful for. Again, a prosperous new year to all, from our family and from the Office of the Vice President.)