Rising after the storms

I have been known among friends and colleagues as a “glass half full” kind of person, I tend to search for possibility even in the darkest headlines and hardest days.

- OF TREES AND FOREST FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT MANNY VILLAR

This attitude, which I developed early on in life, does not deny the weight of loss, fear, or frustration; it simply insists that within every crisis, there are seeds of renewal waiting to be nurtured. With that hopeful lens, the story of the Philippines in 2025 becomes not just a record of storms and struggles, but a testament to how much light still breaks through the clouds.

Even with this positive outlook in life, I cannot deny that 2025 weighed heavily on our nation—a year scarred by relentless storms, trembling ground, political discord, and the unease of uncertain times. Yet beneath the headlines of hardship, countless acts of courage, solidarity, and quiet perseverance point toward a future that can be brighter than the storms that tested the nation.

On Sept. 30, our kababayans in Cebu were jolted by a powerful earthquake that, according to government data, claimed 79 lives, injured over 500 people, and damaged more than 134,000 homes. The disaster also caused an estimated P6.76 billion in infrastructure losses. As families struggled to rebuild, Typhoon Tino, internationally known as Kalmaegi, struck the Visayas—including Cebu, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Palawan—making landfall eight times between Nov. 4 and 5 and affecting more than 2.4 million people. Less than a week later, Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-Wong) hit Aurora, impacting 16 of the country's 18 regions, affecting 7.6 million people, and displacing more than 303,000 residents.