After ‘another dark year,’ senators urge Filipinos to welcome 2022 with hope, optimism

EARLY WELCOME Fireworks were set off on Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City on the night of Dec. 30 in anticipation of the New Year. INQUIRER file photo / ELOISA LOPEZ

MANILA, Philippines — Several senators on Friday urged Filipinos to welcome the new year with hope and optimism to overcome new challenges ahead.

“As we end the year 2021, let us remember the loved ones we have lost as we endure the uncertainty brought about by the continued twin threats of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said in his New Year message.

“For all of us who are still blessed with the gift of life, may we see this as a blessing and opportunity to be better, kinder, and understanding towards others,” he added.

Sotto called on Filipinos to let “faith lead us on and make us strong as we welcome the year 2022.”

“Let us all look forward with hope and positivity to overcome whatever challenges the new year may bring,” he said.

After ‘another dark year’

The county faced “another dark year” with the challenges brought about by the pandemic persisting until 2021.

Despite this, Senator Nancy Binay said the country “has had bright spots that have given us respite from the relentless battering that we are experiencing.”

“These instances have inspired us and restored our faith in our brethren, reassuring us that there is a way out of this rut, that we will prevail so long as we exhibit the togetherness and compassion that so many of us have shown in spades in these trying times,” she said.

“Though the threat of the Omicron variant looms and new challenges keep arising, I hope that we will choose to look on the new year with renewed, if tempered, optimism,” she added, believing Filipinos can overcome any challenges that lie ahead in the new year.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, who cited his own personal and political trials in 2021, likewise said there are various reasons to be optimistic in the coming year.

“Napalaking hamon ng 2021 para sa ating lahat. Sunod-sunod ang mga pagsubok sa atin. Humabol pa si [Typhoon] Odette. Meron tayong mga mahal sa buhay na iniwan na tayo. Mas mahirap ang kumita. Naging parusa ang online learning at working. Nagkalat ng basura sa internet,” he said.

(2021 has been a big challenge for all of us. We have faced many struggles. We were hit by Typhoon Odette. We have lost loved ones. It became harder to earn a living. Online learning and remote work also challenged many. The internet was filled with junk.)

Like his fellow senators, Pangilinan encouraged Filipinos to welcome the new year with hope.

“Sa kabila ng lahat, marami pa rin ang dapat ipagpasalamat [Despite all of these, there are still things we should be thankful for],” he added.

“Haharapin natin ang 2022 nang may pag-asa [Let’s face 2022 with hope],” he said.

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JPV