The Year 2016 and its greatest lessons
Today is the last day of the year, and as we look back at the last 365 days, we realize the tremendous learning that we gained from the many events that we experienced the whole year round. There are many but I opt to focus on the top five lessons that should have enriched us immensely.
The first lesson is never to count out the outsiders. The 16 million Filipinos who voted Mayor Digong Duterte to the presidency gambled on a maverick outsider who hates the establishment and abhors the imperialistic Manila. He vowed to dismantle a highly centralized government structure and replace it with a federal form of democracy where powers are devolved and the grassroot people are empowered.
The second lesson is that sometimes, the “bad guys” win. As between the ilustrado Mar Roxas who has the breeding of an haciendero family, and the “bad boy” from Davao, Leyte and Cebu, at the start of the 2016 campaign, all the odds favored Roxas. Mar had the money, the machinery, and Malacañang support. Mayor Digong had nothing but the mass appeal of a maverick. Vice President Jojo Binay had billions and a well-entrenched organization. Senator Grace Poe had the backing of the elite and the trust of the business community. Mayor Digong was painted by mainstream media as the dark horse who did not have money nor machinery. But he had the message. And he surprised everything and the rest is history.
The third lesson is never to underestimate the powers of social media. One of the secret weapons of Mayor Digong was a very aggressive, very daring, and very passionate use of Facebook, Twitter, and other media that are available for free. A group of young propagandists led by Baste Duterte, the more handsome son of the mayor, together with his “barkadas” embarked on an intensive and extensive use of the social platforms and gained tremendous mileage for the unorthodox mayor of Davao. That approach has made the mayor more known by the OFWs from all over the world, especially those from Asia and from the Middle East.
The fourth lesson is that the one who wins is not always the brightest or the smartest. Mayor Duterte always got 75 in many of his subjects, and he barely passed the Bar exams. But he won over a UP graduate Jojo Binay. He won over Mar Roxas who has foreign studies allegedly. Mayor Rody has discernment, he knows the realities in the ground. He is aware of the many things that his opponents opted to ignore. He has the courage to think out of the box. He did many things that the others considered unthinkable. He says his piece without being bothered or hindered by fixations on good manners or having finesse. He never listens to others. He has his own hunches and instincts.
The fifth lesson is never to say never. There are so many things that happened in 2016 that we never thought could ever happen before. For instance, the appointment of self-confessed socialists and communists in the cabinet. Also, the shift in our foreign affairs from being pro-US to being China- and Russia-friendly. The open defiance of many pro-human rights, and pro-Church and pro-US beliefs and philosophies. When we have a leader who is not afraid to challenge the status quo, what used to be never heard of becomes possible. The year of 2016 therefore has been a year of great and unprecedented possibilities. Let us then say goodbye to this very eventful year. And let us make 2017 even better.
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