Welcoming the New Year with hope and vigilance

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January 1, 2026 | 12:00am

As the calendar turns to another year, many of us instinctively reach for hope. Amid the warmth of media noche celebrations with family and loved ones, social platforms will be abuzz with heartfelt wishes that 2026 will be kinder, fairer and more prosperous than the year that has passed.

For seniors like me, hope is more than a feeling- it is a lifeline. We hope for affordable healthcare, a dignified retirement and a society that values wisdom. As advocates for animal welfare, we hope for compassion that goes beyond humans. And as someone who has spent decades working in communications,  I hope for truth- the kind that is free from the grip of disinformation.

But hope, as comforting as it is, cannot stand alone. It must be paired with vigilance.

This year pulled back the curtain on a truth we all know is deeply entrenched in our system yet often overlooked: corruption. Except this time, the flood control scandal is the latest face of what corruption has stolen from us as a nation.

President Marcos himself exposed the large-scale corruption in government infrastructure projects. “Mahiya naman kayo” was his strong message during his fourth State of the Nation Address to corrupt officials behind billions of pesos lost to either ghost or substandard projects.

The flood control scandal did not just steal money from the Filipino people – it robbed us of quality infrastructure that could have pushed our country forward, claimed lives, disrupted livelihoods, left communities vulnerable, derailed progress and betrayed public trust. Most of all it robbed the nation of its dignity. Dignity to stand side by side with nations without feeling the shame of uncontrolled massive corruption.

Yet, amid these challenges, I believe we cannot afford to give up hope. Hope guides us but it is vigilance that protects us.

We must learn from the past year’s lessons and demand better from those in public office. We must demand transparency and hold everyone accountable especially from those in power. Every peso wasted and every rule twisted for personal gain is a blow for the kind of future that we envision.

In 2026, I hope that we work toward strengthening our institutions to prevent another corruption scandal. When institutions are weak, corruption thrives. When institutions are strong, corruption is exposed and punished. Agencies tasked with oversight must be empowered to investigate and act. Courts must be independent and fair. The media should be free to report without fear or favor to keep power in check.

For seniors like me, vigilance means speaking up. Age should never silence us. We have seen promises kept and broken, and our voices carry experience. Let us use them to push for policies that protect the vulnerable. And let us remind the young that integrity is non-negotiable and staying silent in the face of wrongdoing is the same as agreeing to it.

As citizens,  being vigilant is much more than just watching and waiting for things to unfold. As we know now, corruption hides in secrecy and disinformation helps it thrive. Fighting fake news is not just for journalists or communicators, it is everyone’s duty. Check before you share. Question before you believe. In a world where lies spread faster than truth, skepticism is not negativity, it’s survival.

Throughout my life, I have seen many ups and downs in our nation’s history. I have seen moments of progress and moments of disappointment. But I have never lost faith in the Filipino people. I will continue to do my share, in my own little way, to somehow serve our country and be of service to the people.

As we welcome the new year, let’s pair hope with vigilance. Let’s imagine a country where corruption is not normal, truth is not negotiable and compassion is not just talk. Let’s build communities that care- for seniors, for animals, for the environment and for honesty and accountability.

The road ahead won’t be easy. Corruption has many faces and disinformation spreads like wildfire. But we are not powerless. Every act of integrity, every push for transparency, every effort to fight lies is a spark in the dark.

As we step into 2026, I choose to hope boldly and I invite everyone to do the same. But hope alone is not enough, we must guard it with vigilance. Together, we can prove that citizens united by truth and compassion are unstoppable. The future we dream of will be shaped by our hands, our voices and our courage.