MANILA, Dec. 2 -- It's December, and Christmas is already in full swing. Streets are glowing with bright, twinkling lights, malls are packed with shoppers looking for bargain deals, and the annual holiday carmageddon has begun as parties and reunions fill calendars.
But amid the festivities, this season is also a time to pause and reflect on the challenges that many Filipinos continue to face. The past months have tested the nation's resilience: deadly earthquakes and typhoons have claimed lives, displaced thousands, and ruined homes, while widespread corruption scandals have deeply eroded public trust in the government and global investor confidence in the country.
According to the latest Social Weather Survey conducted in September this...