The new year came in like a ghost stealthily sneaking in and in an instant the clock registered a new dawn signifying an irreversible pattern that left 2022 and ushered in 2023. Of course, nothing really has changed like the color of the sky would turn red from blue as the new era sets in. It’s merely a count of the calendar that dates back to several ages. Yeah, it’s a count that symbolizes changes or progression and may be the reason why we always tell ourselves and the people around us to change.

But not too fast though. While the excitement to the things that will unfold before us is there and that sometimes we are in hurry to bury the dead of our past, we must realize and remember first that we can’t just move on without looking back and taking into consideration as foundations of our tomorrow the things and events that have happened yesterday.

2022 may have come in high notes back then as everybody have started adjusting from the new normal that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our lives but it was never a walk in the park. The fragile situation almost came to another halt as the prices of crude oil soared to new levels that we have not experienced before. Eventually, the war in Ukraine only sealed the uncontrollable oil prices in the country.

The prices of basic commodities went up as the price of doing business and production became too high. No matter how the finance officials attempted to intervene, inflation went up hurting every small business and the lowly Filipino.

It’s also the year when the prices of sugar went up uncontrollably. The government said that they are importing sugar to augment the need and just when the clearances for importation was signed, Malacanang intervened and declared that there is no such shortage but traders are just hoarding sugar. Of course, the problem cost the head of the newly-appointed Executive Secretary who as it turned out facilitated the importation. Coca-Cola stopped production of its Coke products. Authorities raided a few bodegas in Luzon. Oh yes, it was just a mere staged production to justify the alleged shortage of sugar when in fact there was none. Let’s say there was just an oversupply of personal interests and the lack of political.

Then came the price of onions. Who could have imagined that this will happen in the administration who declared that it will usher the country into the golden age? First, it was just speculation and suddenly we all woke up to a P300/kg price of the local onion. It’s the same staged drama. Malacanang will intervene and announce a price control making it the hero of the Filipinos. Unfortunately, just when it announced a price control mechanism pegging the price of onion to P250/kg, the prices in Luzon are already at P600.00/kg and nobody was able to contain it. Today, everybody is suffering and must endure the situation and the failure of the Marcos government to address it.

One thing that 2022 brought us that we should not forget? Oh, it’s obvious. The son of the late dictator, the “lesser” among his siblings, the party-goer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr was elected as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines. Do we have anything else to say? Ah, nothing. Let’s just say, look around you, there’s gaba di ba?