We will soon be ringing in 2024 and as we await what is in store for us, let us look back at 2023, the unforgettable moments to be cherished, as well as the forgettables and regrettables that we would rather not remember, ever.

What are the unforgettables? On a personal note, I must say that the most significant experience for me in 2023 that will surely be etched in my memory bank is my designation as president of the Rotary Club of Makati, one of the oldest, most prestigious clubs in the country, well endowed in resources and with a solid core of dedicated members and support staff.

RCMakati has been continuously striving to live up to Rotary's motto of "Service Above Self" for the past 58 years — providing for the endless needs of the underprivileged, particularly the youth, the homeless, the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, and the aged in various communities in cooperation with Rotary Sister Clubs all over the country from the northern tip of Isabela and Ilocos to our southern cities of Davao and Zamboanga.

The experience has allowed me to see these faces upfront and center, affirming the unfortunate reality of our country's sad state of affairs. With such a glowing legacy and huge expectations to live up to, I am most grateful that I have been given the opportunity to foster and continue to serve those who are most in need.

Being an avid sports fan, some sporting events definitely fall under the category of my unforgettables.

Watching Sarina Bolden, skipper of the Women's National Football team, the Filipinas, score a first-ever goal and a win in the Philippines' maiden participation in the FIFA World Cup against highly favored co-host New Zealand was a terrific national heart-thumping booster.

Never mind if it was just a solitary win. I only managed to watch the replay but the instant explosion of cheers of our Filipino compatriots in the stands reverberated with me surely as loudly as any Filipino watching the historic occasion even digitally. It certainly evoked an immediate sense of joy and national pride very much similar to the feeling of watching Manny Pacquiao during his prime demolish much bigger opponents one after the other.

Another unforgettable sporting spectacle was watching live some games of the Gilas and the USA teams during our co-hosting of the FIFA World Basketball Cup, a once in a lifetime opportunity that there was no way I would pass on notwithstanding the sky-high cost of a ticket. Never mind if the rumored million-dollar paycheck of the Jordan Clarkson-reinforced Gilas could only muster a solitary victory over our erstwhile Asian tormentor on the hardcourt and the West Philippine Sea, China.