The year 2022 marked the end and the beginning of historic chapters in our lives as Filipinos. Indubitably, we can mention this at the end of every year, however, the change that transpired this year was amplified by the conduct of the Presidential elections last May.

On the macro-level, everything took a different course — economic policies, foreign policies, legislative priorities, campaign slogans (i.e. unity), government ambitions, etc. The following year will further concretize these with the continuing changes being made on top appointive officials, thanks to the botched tenure of the short-lived executive secretary in the Palace.

Every administration brings along its own set of people with their own stories to tell. Factor in the timing of their entry (wherein the Philippines was somewhat in the recovery from the pandemic, but it was not out of the woods yet), the leadership of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. was faced with the undesirable task of uplifting a nation deeply hurt by the pandemic, without the funding to do so.

From my experience this year in the private sector, I can sincerely say that leadership matters in these trying times. Any crisis can keep you up all night and leaders should be able to manage and later solve these issues without flinching an eyelash. From how President Marcos, Jr. has been taking care of things, I can say that he has laudable traits that will keep him in power with the sufficient political will to get things done.

So far, the administration's platform of unity has been holding up. I am personally knowledgeable on how President Marcos Jr. has brought together elective officials who supported different Presidential candidates in the elections but treated them like VIPs for the sake of unity. I am also familiar with Cabinet appointees who professed that their families supported other Presidential candidates but were still appointed and later confirmed for their appointments. Diplomacy is a key trait of leaders. However, given how polarizing and divisive the recent Presidential elections was, it took more character for President Marcos Jr. to accept these people into his inner circle for the sake of the country.

The President is bent on bringing the Philippines back on the map not just as an exporter of OFWs. The knowledge gained overseas by the President is proven by the economic priorities to be implemented in the Philippines. Case in fact: the Maharlika Wealth Fund is our country's version of a sovereign wealth fund that is gaining traction here. Sovereign wealth funds have had their own success stories overseas and it is quite apparent that President Marcos Jr. got this idea from his recent international trips.