COMMENTARY: EXPECTATIONS FOR 2010

Maasin City (5 January) -- No big deal here, really, because every handover of a new number for a coming year brings with it lots of excitement of good tidings to come, either on personal matters or for the good of the community, the country as a whole.

But 2010 somehow stands out in high degree of anticipation, and a heightened pitch of looking forward for a positive outcome on some housekeeping assignments.

Pardon me, but I would not consider calling this a traditional wish list, since in everyone's minds this has been part of their expectations for this year.

Now set back and relax as you tour around for at least three expectations of 2010, whether or not you share it.

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There will be local and national elections this year, raising promising prospects of having new leaders, or renewing the mandate of old ones, and this alone separates 2010 from past or future years.

And not just an ordinary election, let me remind you: we are in for a first taste of computerized, automated balloting in Philippine political history.

This reality alone sends shivers in our spines, our fears and worries mixing it up with eagerness to grab a bite of this thing, with prayers for courage to make it a success when it happens, and calm acceptance for lessons learned if it would fail, God forbid.

The democratic project is at stake in this precedent-setting automated electoral process, and this would also put to a crucial test the Filipino's political maturity -- or plain ignorance on applied information technology. Heaven help us.

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Of course, everyone will be in high hopes that the economy will be better -- much better, and lots of pleasant surprises, too -- than 2008 and 2009 combined. We have been into the bottom pit, so this should be time to make a rebound, in a global or local sense.

The anticipated turnaround for a rosy financial picture, however, will not be handed down just like that on a silver platter, but would have to be worked out by the sweat of our brows. As always, the guiding principle is there's no free lunch here.

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By far, the general sentiment of "this must be done" in the year of our Lord 2010 is in the abstract field of justice, a notion made concrete particularly in the magnitude of the Maguindanao carnage.

The plain civilians, the women, our colleagues in the media -- let not their blood be spilt in vain. They may be sacrificial lambs, or a collateral damage in a culture of political violence, but at the end of the day -- any day this year -- the culprits must answer for their inhuman, monster-like deeds.

The whole world expects no less in the year of the Tiger.

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LOCAL FRONT: It was raining cats and dogs, so to speak, when veteran mediaman and World War II veteran Gus Arnaiz was laid to his final resting place at Ichon, Macrohon, Memorial Garden in the morning of December 31, 2009. Traffic in the city's main street virtually came to a standstill as the more than two dozen vehicle convoys inched their way from the Maasin Cathedral for the seven kilometer funeral procession. In his homily during the requiem Mass, Fr. Patrick Paraiso cited Gus along the likes of Bishop Vicente Ataviado and Speaker Nicanor Yniguez -- people who made a big difference in the lives of others. Amen to that, Father.

ODDLY YOURS: How do we calculate the exact day of the Chinese New Year? The general rule is that the Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which always falls every December 21st. So for 2010, the second new moon, after January 15, is February 14, the date of the Chinese New Year, ushering in the year of the Metal Tiger. Coincidentally, while the rest of the world celebrate Valentine's day on this date, the Chinese observe this romantic day on a very different date. Based on the Chinese Calendar, the Chinese' Valentine's Day falls on the seventh day of the seventh month – and this will be August 16, 2010. And 2010 is lunar year 4708 in the Chinese calendar system. (By Bong Pedalino PIA-Southern Leyte)

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