The New Year has been rung in and while the celebrations across the planet were mostly muted, almost everyone must have been hoping for a better 2021.
In countries whose governments have been more proactive than the rest, citizens have reason to begin the year with hope as vaccination programs against the coronavirus that essentially shut down 2020 have already started. The case may be different for the Philippines where the government has dropped the vaccine ball, so the ever resilient and hopeful Filipino has to start 2021 on the back foot.
Perhaps, this will be the year when we can be less forgiving, raise our standards for leadership and public service, and start demanding more from the officials, who should be responsible for our nation’s recovery from Covid-19.
Aside from demanding more from public officials, especially when it comes to our country’s uninspired Covid-19 response that has been put to shame by nations led by more capable elected officials, the New Year should also give us the impetus to raise our standards and expectations because that is the only way our nation can get more in 2021.
The lockdowns, quarantines, and health protocols that have dominated 2020 have taught us the impact of our action or inaction. Wearing masks, physical distancing, and handwashing can keep our families and communities safe. Failing to follow those simple guidelines can endanger everyone.
Let us build on those lessons we learned in 2020 that we survived to make this year better and start thriving again.
As we begin the first work week of 2021, keep in mind that the earlier we take decisive action on the issues that threaten our future, the better our chances are of a brighter future. Let us begin this year right by normalizing what we should have prioritized when 2020 began: demanding more from our leaders, and raising standards for performance, competence, integrity, and common decency.
Surviving 2020 is fine, but we cannot face 2021 with the same mindset. Let us change what we can, as soon as possible, starting with ourselves. And when our standards have been raised, and we realize that we and our children deserve more, perhaps we will finally do all we can to ensure a better future, starting with a thorough review of our mistakes of the past that can be corrected in the coming year.*
