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Our people deserve a Happy Christmas this year. After prolonged lockdowns, anxiety about their jobs and their future, Filipinos deserve to celebrate this coming holiday with a sense of normalcy and, of course, cautious celebration. And you can feel it building up, with the cool, crisp air, the return of traffic, the sound of Christmas jingles and people chatting over dinner or coffee. A lot of people have been vacationing as well. Flights have not returned to pre-pandemic levels but destinations like Boracay, Tagaytay, Palawan and the like have seen the influx of many local tourists.

The phrase “when it rains, it pours” has taken a positive meaning in current developments in the Philippines. Our Covid-19 data are improving significantly while recent economic figures suggest the business reopening in the Philippines is a success. All these numbers point to a healthier nation and a robust economy in the coming months.

It is nice to see people going out again. I saw families roaming our malls again, friends chatting over coffee. Strangely, I have missed the cacophony of noises of people talking and coffee machines whirring. After months of “captivity” because of lockdowns, people are understandably excited to go out of their houses again. Daily coronavirus cases have been on the decline and the government has lowered the alert levels on restrictions. And of course, it is the Christmas season.