Four years ago, I wrote in this column an article entitled "Christmas Wishes 2018." My wishes then were: The elimination of graft and corruption in government; law and order; national unity; an educated citizenry that is difficult to fool and easy to govern, and which will constitute the workforce for a competitive economy; honest, orderly, peaceful and meaningful elections; the recovery of plundered funds; a clean and green environment.

Most importantly, I wished for: "…a citizenry that will clearly understand what is right and what is wrong, that will have the will to stand up for principle and will not allow a wrong to happen, or if it happens, to go unpunished; …a citizenry that will fight corruption and see to it that those who are corrupt, who steal public funds or use their government positions to enrich themselves at the expense of the Filipino people will be arrested, prosecuted and punished for their crimes."

Finally, I wished then for a return to the true meaning of Christmas, a season of goodwill, a time to rejoice, a time to forgive and a time to be one with the rest of humanity in remembering that God sent His only Son into the world to redeem us.

Today, Christmas 2022, we have a new national administration and have, hopefully, passed the worst and know how to manage Covid-19. We held our last national elections in May where I believe the will of the majority was followed.

As to law and order, the 2022 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index saw the Philippines' score improve by an increase of 1.4 percent this year. The country is now ranked, 97th out of 140 countries worldwide, but still one of the worst in the region, 13th out of 15 in East Asia and the Pacific.

As to the elimination of graft and corruption, there has been no real improvement. In fact, the country's rating in Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perception Index dropped, placing us 117th out of 180 countries and territories in the index.

In terms of trying to have an educated citizenry, the latest World Bank report places the Philippines' Learning Poverty as one of the worst in Southeast Asia.

In so far as environmental sustainability is concerned, there is so much to catch up on. The Yale Center Environmental Performance Index 2022 ranks the Philippines 158 out of 180 countries.

As to having a citizenry that will clearly understand what is right and what is wrong, that will have the will to stand up for principle and will not allow a wrong to happen, or if it happens, to go unpunished, well, I leave it up to you my dear readers to judge whether this wish has been granted.

So, this year, if there are Christmas wishes I will make, there are only two. The first is to wish that the good Filipinos, despite all the problems and obstacles, never give up on making our country a better place to live in. And secondly, that we never forget the true meaning of Christmas, that God sent His only Son into the world to redeem us.

Wishing one and all a Blessed Christmas and a Grace-filled New Year!