For Filipinos, 12 news headlines to hope for in 2012

SAN FRANCISCO—It’s been a tough year. But a new one brings new opportunities, new reasons to be hopeful.

So I asked friends for the news headlines they would like to read in 2012.

It was a fun exercise. There were serious, passionate suggestions, and some hilarious, even naughty ones.

A few were about controversial politicians (‘Reunion ng mga Macapagal-Arroyo at Ampatuan — sa Munti’). And about showbiz celebrities (‘KC Concepcion finds true love with Mo Twister’).

One friend raised the issue of the controversial SM condo project near Ateneo. Another wrote of a concern of many parents: “No classroom shortage come school opening June 2012.”

Then there’s one on the speculation that next year will be our final year on this Earth — “Uy, the world did not end pala!”

It’s good to mix humor with hope, especially in these times. So with the help of friends, here’s my list of headlines to hope for in 2012:

1. Rapid response saves thousands from typhoons

Sendong reminded us that many parts of the archipelago are vulnerable. A bit of good news is that P-Noy’s government has admitted that it could have done more to prepare.

Nature is unpredictable and there are long-term development issues to be considered in taking on this problem.

But what if, when the next round of typhoons and calamities hit, with the aid of the nation’s vibrant network of civic, environmental and humanitarian groups, and the best of the country’s local government officials, Team Noynoy actually takes the lead in saving thousands of lives.

2. Aquino to Luisita farmers: ‘I’m on your side’

Imagine this: P-Noy prevails in the legal and political battles with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Then he caps these victories by putting to rest any doubts about why he waged these struggles — by proving once and for all that he did not go after GMA, Corona et al for his own family’s interests, but for the sake of the nation.

And he does this by making a stunning act of courage for a president who is also the scion of a powerful landlord clan: He calls on his family to respect the ruling on Hacienda Luisita and takes the side of the farmers in the bruising battle over how much his own family should be paid.

He then rallies different sectors — from business groups, NGOs, even international experts on land reform — to come up with a new sustainable business model for Luisita and the farmers who now own the land.

And in a bold and dramatic appearance before thousands of famers, he declares: “Gaya nang sabi ko — kayo ang boss ko. I’m on your side!”

3.    RH bill becomes law, 10,000 doctors, midwives hired

Finally, forces pushing for this long-overdue law move forward. Perhaps with the aid of progressive religious leaders and — who knows– maybe even Manny Pacquiao.

4.   China agrees to regional peace in Southeast Asia
Faced with a united and determined Southeast Asian alliance led by Manila and Hanoi, China finally realizes that it would be unwise, even disastrous, to provoke a war in the region. A regional peace pact is signed. Tensions subside.

5.  Philippines wins first Olympic gold

We’ve been waiting for so long. So maybe this year is the year. Maybe London is where the long wait will end.

6.  Pacman KO’s Floyd, ends career with a bang

Maybe a jail term will not stop the much-anticipated showdown. And despite recent unimpressive wins, Manny Pacquiao finally proves that he is the king of boxing by knocking out Floyd Mayweather — in the first round. Then he does the right thing: He retires. “I know I can’t do this forever,” he says. “May mas marami pa akong gustong magawa.”

And maybe he even surprises us with another declaration: “I want to serve — but maybe politics, especially the kind practiced in Congress,  is not the only way for me to do that. Maraming ibang paraan. There are other ways for me to help.”

7.  Fewer Pinoys leave as economy expands

The global economy is in such a rocky state that this one is perhaps tough to imagine happening within a year.

But maybe by the end of 2012, there could be a surprise: An economy that’s expanding to the point that a tad fewer Filipinos see a reason to leave to find opportunities elsewhere.

8.     PH jumps to No. 120 in least corrupt nations list

And maybe P-Noy’s central campaign does begin to gain traction. And from No. 129 on the Corrupt Perceptions Index in 2011, the Philippines moves up to No. 120.

A modest improvement, but still an improvement to celebrate.

9. Obama on Subic anniversary: ‘The U.S. made mistakes’

November 24, 2012 will mark the 20th anniversary of the closing of Subic Naval Base and the end of nearly a century of U.S. military presence in the Philippines.

Imagine a newly-elected President Obama finally visiting the country, and making what no U.S. president has ever done: He acknowledges the painful episodes in the history of the two countries — from the bloody U.S. invasion to the shameless endorsement of a greedy dictator. “We made mistakes,” he says. “It’s time for a new kind of friendship.”

10.    Peace offensive: GRP, MILF, NDF close ranks against rogues, hardliners

What if enough key actors on all sides of the civil wars raging in the country finally get tired of war?

And they — military officers who take their roles as defenders of the homeland seriously, together with the sincere elements within the MILF and the underground left — find a way to unite against those within their ranks who don’t want the war to end, who profit from war, who are addicted to the killing — who simply cannot imagine peace?

11. Truth Commission begins probes with surprise first witness

And what if, in the search for lasting peace, P-Noy acknowledges the need to remember the past?

Imagine this: A Truth Commission, inspired by similar successful initiatives in South Africa and El Salvador, is convened to probe human rights abuses from the Marcos regime to the present.

Perpetrators are given the opportunity to confess, to disclose what they know of the acts of political violence in the past four decades in exchange for more lenient punishment. The objective is neither vengeance nor vindictiveness, but to understand what went wrong, so we can learn from the past. And so we don’t repeat past mistakes.

The commission gets an unexpected boost. After his capture, Jovito Palparan, known as the ‘butcher,’ agrees to become  the first major witness.

12.  Aquino: ‘Freedom of Information Law cannot wait’

P-Noy finally follows up on his promise of transparent governance. It’s a long process. “Which is why it’s time to start now,” he says. “It’s time for freedom of information to be part of the way government works in our country.”

This is my personal list. I’m sure you all have your own. Marami pa pong maidadagdag…

Isang mapayapa at makabuluhang bagong taon sa ating lahat!

On Twitter @KuwentoPimentel. On Facebook at www.facebook.com/benjamin.pimentel