Skip to main content

What a Year 2020 for the Filipinos!

 2020 - Oh what a year! We pronounce it "Twenty-Twenty". On a side note, the ophthalmologist will always want us to have the 20-20 vision. This year was supposedly the 2020 Olympics to be held in Japan. The outlook for 2020 by the economists, by the Feng-sui experts, and by majority of Filipino people is that this is going to be a great big year.

A Woman Vendor getting back on her feet after the devastation brought about by a typhoon in the Philippines. Here, she's selling corns that were left to her by Typhoon Ulysses.


Including me, I was hoping that this year is going to be prosperous. Until these things happened:


Taal Volcano Eruption

Thousands of families lost their homes. We were shocked, saddened by the impact of ashfalls not only to the nearby towns in Taal Volcano but also in provinces as far as those in Central Luzon. Death tolls were recorded in the following days, both humans and animals. Restrictions to enter danger zones were imposed, giving residents more pains and agony. We've seen lots of tears during these darkest times.

The Taal Volcano eruption that happened on January 12, 2020 is shown in this photo. Days after the explosion, Batanguenos or locals of Batangas province felt the magnitude of this natural disaster on their lives.


Here is my post about Taal Volcano eruption: The Grays and Golds of the Taal Volcano Eruption


ABS-CBN Shutdown

An ABS-CBN report van is spotted in a nearby market in my town. During this time, COVID-19 pandemic is mostly the coverage of the media while at the same time, the TV network is facing possible shutdown.

Engulfed by legal actions from the government's side due an expiring franchise, one of the biggest television network, ABS-CBN, was brought to an end its broadcasting across the Philippine nation. Months before the supposedly stoppage of airing news, programs and entertainment shows, people are worried that they will no longer see and hear their favorite TV personalities. More than that, thousands of jobs would be at stake. Until the feared shutdown happened.


COVID-19 Pandemic

We don't see this coming to the Philippines. Covid-19 get into our bodies and up until today it is ruining the lives of many Filipinos. Doctors and nurses were the first to feel the pressure of treating COVID-19 patients. Day by day, month by month, there is a recorded surge, much worst - death.

Locals are patiently queuing up in a supermarket in Gen. Trias Cavite. Community quarantines were already imposed across the Philippines during this time.


Community quarantines were then imposed all over the country. People was at first hesitant to comply, but with the government's initiative to curb the spike, or this what they call "Flattening of the Curve", GCQ, MGCQ, ECQ and MECQ seems to be working, if not totally. As of this writing, the number of cases is still there only difference than before is that it is way manageable.


Rolly, Quinta and Ulysses Typhoons

The tragedy of the past repeats itself when these catastrophic natural events brought Filipinos down on their knees once again - with floods in populated communities, destructions of properties and lost of lives. Typhoons are typical visitors of the Philippines the whole year round, the most devastating of which arrives during the last quarter of the year. Wiped out by strong winds barangays, pulled-off from the ground trees and infrastructures, buried to the ground communities, sunken to the floods towns and cities, and damages here and there to agricultural lands are what these typhoons gave us. Not talking about the billions of pesos equivalent losses to the economy, but the lost of lives is something cannot be accounted for in terms of monetary value. We were downed, so much downed.

A picturesque view of West Philippine Sea days after typhoon Quinta hit the country.


The year 2020 is yet to end, and we are hoping for the best, at least for the remaining days. All the negativity, hopefully, will stop for a while and give us the Filipinos a Merry Christmas, and if its not too much to ask, a Happy New year. We all want these pains and sufferings to end, even just for the last few days of 2020.


In Failures We Learn and Become Better

Just imagine what those hard facts, plagues or disasters brought us. Lives killed, houses gone, sources of living wiped out, jobs lost, normalcy out, and a lot more consequences. We were badly affected, millions of us. We cried, we suffered, we got stressed or depressed, we mourned the lost of our love ones, we lost our jobs, and probably some us, our faith dwindled down. We often asked:


"Why is this happening to us?"


Hard question, indeed. But here we are. We move-on despite hardships, difficulties and adversaries. Look at our smiles, that Filipino signature smile of confidence, of resiliency. Whenever you see a Filipino smiling during an interview in TV, even to seriousness of a topic, that means we have more reasons to be happy. And look at our courage to fight our struggles out till we win. Look at our resiliency, that a day or two after the floods, we have the strength to clean up, organize whatever is left to us.

Bayanihan is all about teamwork, helping each other in times on needs without any condition or favor, be it on our regular day jobs or a typical day in the community. Filipinos are known to this century-old humanitarian practice.


And look at the spirit of "Bayanihan" we have here in the Philippines. Donation in cash and in kind from foundations locally and abroad, rations of foods and voluntary services from different groups, these are pouring to every devastated town and barangay. The helping hands are there, and will always be there in this beautiful country. Bayanihan is something we Filipinos are proud about.

Here's my post to inspire you about the Filipinos spirit of Bayanihan: Bayanihan - Filipinos' Last and Only Hope in Beating the Odds of Times


Look at us world!

We are standing back again from our defeats!

We are the Filipinos.


A Friendly Advise

Personally, this year has been good for me and my wife, somehow. There were bad times of course. Like many of you, we felt the stress. We got depressed, sometimes shed tears due to the stay-at-home measures. But the seeds we planted years back became good harvests this year. I am sharing that experience not to annoy people who did not make it to harvest the fruits of their labor and sacrifices. We understand that for many, it's not even close to getting a leaf, because calamities took everything away from them. Rather, that is to tell everyone that great things can come in any year, even if bad things surround us. It is the circle of life, or the cycle of life. There are good times and there are bad times. Not 2020, but the coming year might be a good one for you.

And with that, I want to give this advise to everyone, especially to every Filipino out there who have been into a bad situation this year 2020.

Let our failures become the source of our courage and strength to strive for betterment in the coming years. We fall down, we slowly stand, or maybe take a seat first until we regain our strength and then be back on our feet. The fight is not over and will never be over. So the best and right thing we can do is:


Maging matapang tayo harapin ang anumang pagsubok na darating.

Harapin natin ang bagong taon ng may pagasa.


While many of us are still struggling to be back, then by becoming focus, we will surely bounce back soon. We will find a new job or be back on our job. The doors of our business will open and customers will come. We will harvest more fruits from the trees, more vegetables from the garden, more crops from the fields, and more money from our investments. With the lost of our love ones, our aching heart and soul will slowly heal, in time. All these will happen for there is hope upon us - always.


We could have been fooled that 2020 has a very clear vision or outlook, but obviously, it is not if we are to based on the realities we faced this year. But then again, there is hope.


Eat. Pray. Work. Love. Repeat.

These are what will keep us alive, what will make us hope for the better. May this coming Christmas we feel better, forget our bad experiences even just for the day, and let us all be happy being with our families. And in the coming New Year, may we realize what things, acts or plans will make us even better, more prepared and more resilient against the challenges ahead of us. Eat. Pray. Work. Love. Repeat - always remember this.

God bless you. God bless the Filipinos. God bless the Philippines.



About Project Pilipinas

Launched in 2011, this blog shares the stories of the Filipino people in their beautiful country the Philippines. This is about the realities embarked in our culture, tradition, ways and mentality. The intention is not to make us, Filipinos, be clean in front of other nations, but rather to expose what is good and bad in us as a race. Project Pilipinas is campaign for good changes. It admits the negative we have here in the Philippines but it also strive to get more positivity, by creating awareness thru blog post, for this nation to become better.

We encourage you to share our posts to the world with the goal of helping people understand why we are like this and at the same time solicit ideas that could make us change for the better. You are most welcome to comment and give your thoughts about this piece.


Comments

Popular Posts

“I Love Baguio City” - My Travel Story in the Summer Capital of the Philippines

The Strawberry Farm, Burnham Park, Mines View Park, the Mansion, Wright Park, Lourdes Grotto, and Session Road; these are among of the popular landmarks in the more commonly known “Summer Capital of the Philippines” – Baguio City. Why so? Well, the temperature here seldom exceeds 26 degree centigrade. During the cold season of December to February, the temperature falls down to even below 10 degree centigrade. The record low temperature was 6.3 degree and that was on January 18, 1961. How to Travel to Baguio City? Going to this cold city in the mountainous province of Benguet, Philippines is a six to seven hours travel by passenger utility bus from Manila. Starting from EDSA, traversing the NLEX, entering SCTEX, exiting the province of Tarlac and going through the neighbouring provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, and then exploring the zigzag road of either the Marcos Highway, the Kennon Road or the Naguilian Road, the coldest place in the Philippines will be reached. Baguio is a

"Business as Usual" as the Filipinos Define It (Vulcanizing Shop, Sari-Sari Store, Bakery) – Part 1

I asked the shop owner about these old unused tires on what are they doing with it. The Vulcanizing shop owners says, “Oh, someone will pick up those tires and pay us 5 or 10 pesos each. Sometimes they just take it for free”. Vulcanizing Shop - A Classic Example of Filipino Business You’ve most probably seen and been into a local, typical vulcanizing shop like this one in the photo. The business concept is very simple. Here’s a customer with his flat or deflated tire and the vulcanizing boy will repair it using a rubber compound patch, a heating tool, and an air pump. If it’s a regular car or van tire, repairing one may only take 10 minutes the cost of which is around 30 to 60 pesos. If it’s a tire from a truck or bus, it could be around 30 minutes and the repair would cost the vehicle owner around 100 to 150 pesos. Here’s the thing. A shop like this one could potentially earn a revenue of 1000 up to 2000 per day just by repairing a flat tire. Why? Well, with thousands of

Jesus Christ’s Hands (Kamay ni Hesus) – an Image of Ultimate Devotion

We visited Kamay ni Hesus in 2011. That big statue of Jesus Christ, similar to that one seen in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, is a magnificent wonder. Probably, this hidden place in the province of Quezon is not yet known to the world. Then this post is a good starting point to share it. More than 85% of the Filipinos are Catholics. Many are truly devoted. Some are not. This holy place is a place of worship for many Catholics. At about 50 feet tall, this statue of Jesus Christ is a magnificent structure made even more noticeable when placed on the mountain top. About two thousand to three thousand visitors come into this place everyday to pray, to stroll and to witness the beauty and holiness of this man-made mountain park. On the Photo: A view from the Foot of the Mountain at Lucban, Quezon, Philippines Kamay ni Hesus “Kamay ni Hesus” in Lucban, Quezon is proving it all. A structure, a park , a holy place – many believes that it will last for a lifetime. On a larger scale, Chris

The Solutions to the Problems in the Philippines – an Appeal for Help from People Like You

If I would become the political adviser of the Philippine president, I would propose to him solutions on how to resolve the problems and issues happening in this country. But if I would not become one, I will continue to become an adviser if not to the president then to the people. Manila, Philippines There are hundreds of problems the government of the Philippines is facing today and even in the past. Some of them can be considered solved while some are not. Some problems are recurring while others are permanent and therefore the solutions are only temporary. However, it is worth commending on how the current government is responding to the needs of time of the Filipino people. Ads by ProjectPilipinas Click Image to Learn More The rise of the Philippine Stock Exchange index is a valid proof that several economic measures are taking effect. The legal measures are showing results in the sense that the fight against corruption is not a “ningas-kugon” platform. The call

The Divisoria Malls - Defining Shopping in the Philippines

They call it the 168 Mall. It is one of the busiest places in the Philippines during shopping days like Christmas season when longing for enjoyment and relaxation is on the air once again. From Cavite, my home place, going to Divisoria, it will take you about an hour travel under normal traffic flow. What is in this place? Well, Divisoria is the Bargain Shopping Capital of the Philippines . This is where wholesale and retail prices make shoppers say “WOW!” on delight. Visiting this place will definitely give you a realization about shopping on a different dimension. Find out why on the next paragraphs. On the Photo: The Popular 168 Mall in Divisoria, Manila, Philippines Divisoria is located in Binondo, Manila. It is accessible via Quiapo(where the famous Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church is) thru Recto Avenue and via Lawton near Manila City Hall. Divisoria has been there since the early 90’s. As it is near the North Harbour, Manila’s main seaport, the freshest and cheapest produc

“Fixer” in Philippine Government Agencies Like the Social Security System (SSS) and Land Transportation Office (LTO) – What We Filipinos Can Do About it?

Maybe in this post, I can clearly explain how “fixing” works in many government offices in the country. The idea is first, to warn you that such illegal fixing happens, and second, to give you tips on how you should avoid them. Plain and simple, we will not in anyway damage or speak against anyone or any particular office of the government in this post. It just happened that this is about my experience with LTO and SSS Tagaytay. I want to emphasize that still many government employees in the Philippines are doing their jobs right - including those who are working in the said branches. If you have experienced transacting with any government offices here in the Philippines, whether you're a Filipino or not, you should already be familiar with these signages. NO TO FIXER Banner in an LTO Office NO NOON BREAK Banner in LTO Tagaytay Here’s a bit of knowledge for you to digest first. What is “fixing” or who is a “fixer” by the way? In the Philippines, these good w

Interesting Facts from the Historic Province of the Ilocanos - Ilocos Norte, the Philippines

In 2016, my friends traveled to the northern part of our country – in Ilocos region. The views there are truly amazing, so I decided to create this post about Ilocos Norte. No wonder, some of the places I am going to share here do exists in the Philippines for centuries. Yes, that old! Not only that, I researched more facts about these places that may help you appreciate more the beauty or importance of them. Ready to be fascinated? Here we go. Sand Dunes, Paoay, Ilocos Norte The Sand Dunes in Paoay Ilocos Norte is in some ways comparable to the desert safaris found in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Marrakech. Land cruisers or 4x4 rough terrain vehicles will tour you around the dunes. The place is also known as the Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes (INSD) and is considered a National Geological Monument. The locals call it La Paz Sand Dunes or Bantay Bimmaboy. Notable feature of this tourist destination is that it is an 85 square kilometers dry zone facing the West Philippine Sea. Today, adventu

Beautiful Life in the Philippines in These Times of Pandemic

Life is beautiful if you will find ways to make it beautiful... This is what I learned from life experiences here in the planet. As the line from the poem Invictus states: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. We are responsible for our happiness, at least in a world where everyone has freedom. Now, as to what happiness would mean to you, it something you must know. But defining happiness should not be complicated. Perhaps, this blog post can explain...  Cows Freely Eating Grasses in a Green Field A Lady Witnessing the Rising of the Sun Morning Sun as it Climbs Up to Start the Day We all experienced the horrible impact of pandemic over the past two years, and yet we still feel the difficulties and challenges up to this very moment coping up with the so-called "new normal". Maybe its already too much to say what this COVID-19 virus bring us...that's enough! An inspiration may cure our broken hearts and souls. This is the best way to calm us down, make us