Letter from the editor

Alright, let’s run this back one last time.

2023 was a year filled with uncertainties yet had its fair share of victories for most. It’s no different from what happens every year, and although it may seem disheartening, we somehow still get a glimmer of hope from the other sectors in our country.

Welcome to the Marcos administration, indeed. We witnessed another year go by with him at the helm. Yet, all we got were vlogs, trips, and another F1 race (at least Ferrari won), all this while people back home were still suffering from high prices of essential commodities and increasing fares on public transportation, it gets harder to live as an ordinary citizen day by day.

Holidays were added, while some were sadly removed or changed. We got an updated list of holidays where the President moved the dates of the Araw ng Kagitingan and Bonifacio Day to a convenient day just to have a more extended weekend for apparent tourism reasons. Among those was also the expulsion of the Feb. 25 EDSA People Power Revolution as a holiday for 2024 with the reasoning that it has minimal socio-economic impact, which we think otherwise.

Whether that may have been an attempt to have longer rest days or historical revisionism, let’s not forget the true meaning behind those holidays that we observe, even if they’re removed from the list.

As we head towards the last day of the year, it will also be the last day for our jeepney operators as the government’s PUV Modernization Program pushes through. This concerns the livelihood of these operators who depend on their income. So, we continue to fight the good fight and give importance to why they need to be helped, as they say, “sa laban ng tsuper, kasama ang komyuter.”

Although those are just some things that happened throughout the year, we get to ask ourselves, “When will this be over?” I personally don’t know, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. We are constantly reminded of why we do the things we do, the things we fight for, and the things we know we deserve because we don’t just think for ourselves, we think for the betterment of those around us, it may not be the mindset of the majority of the population, but I hope that you, the one who’s reading this, thinks the same.

Yes, those breakups hurt, and the need for confidential funds for the educational sector is confusing, but let’s also take this time and appreciate everything that we’ve been through throughout the year – all the highs and lows gave us learning experiences that can indeed be taken as a chance of improvement with the years to come.

Raise a glass. At the very end of it all, there’s so much more that we can take away from this year that can give us moments to be proud of, from representation in international sports and media to the newly accepted doctors and lawyers, the next generation gives us a glimpse of a more promising future for our land.

Leave all toxicity behind and face the new year with hope and opportunities for a better future, I applaud you for making it this far, malayo ka pa, pero malayo ka na.

But first, before we enjoy the festivities of another year that went by, let’s look back at the biggest happenings that made it to #TWenty: TomasinoWeb’s year-end special.

Anyone can wear the mask, it's all just a leap of faith.

Para sa maayos na kinabukasan,

Miguel Angelo Sumalinog
Executive Editor