Tumultuous, the word, has popped up much too often in the last days of December. Looking back, it seems no one could escape the year’s demand for change. The Wood Snake, after all, had to shed its old skin for a new one to grow.

We, in the LIFE Team, have seen our share of life’s tumults. We, too, lived through floods and earth-shakers, and there was no room for brainrot. We, too, are raring for real change, one that checks corruption at the door as we enter another year.

After a year of covering life’s events, and sometimes being part of the stories we write, here’s a look at some of the lessons we learned and how we fuel the endless hope we carry for every new year.

Never too late

I lost my sister towards the end of this year. She was two years older than me and her passing was quite sudden.

“FYI, I don’t have much time left,” she texted on 6 November, 8:25 a.m.

I called. We spoke. I did not know what to say… I never do.

“She just wants you to say you love her,” her husband Richard said.

“I would not have called if I didn’t,” was all I could say.

At 12:10 she had passed.

Perhaps, 2026 will teach me to express my feelings… more.

Because I have learned that when I hesitate, I sometimes am…a second…too late. 

In fragments

2025 was a year of hardships I never saw coming. Feng shui warned that it would be a difficult year for the Year of the Pig. Funny — I didn’t believe it at first.

 Looking back, 2025 feels less like turning a page and more like pausing mid-sentence. It was a year that resisted neat conclusions. Instead, it unfolded in fragments — some loud, some painfully quiet. Awfully quiet.

If there was a defining mood, it was adjustment. I adapted to new rhythms at work when I was given a task I never thought I’d be handed. I mean, who’s to say I’d get to manage one of the paper’s most important sections?

It was also a year that reshaped my personal life in ways that were subtle but lasting. Nothing dramatically collapsed or triumphantly resolved… though I did experience my first heartbreak. Tough.

I turned 30 and am feeling so behind in life. I became more attentive to the people who stayed and more forgiving of those who couldn’t. Somehow, being alone became the most peaceful space for me. 

The year taught me the value of rest. I became more intentional with my time, learning that saying no is sometimes an act of self-respect rather than absence.

My favorite moment of the year? Meeting one of my favorite authors, R.F. Kuang. It felt less like encountering a literary celebrity and more like having a conversation with someone who refuses to be casual about ideas — and doesn’t expect you to be either.

While 2025 was hard for me, it has been even harder for the animals in the Philippines.

My hope for animal rights remains the same: that Philippine laws and policies finally reflect a genuine commitment to protecting animals. This means stronger regulations against cruelty, better oversight of industries such as farming, testing, and entertainment, and stricter enforcement when violations occur. I hope endangered species receive the protection they need, not just on paper, but in practice; and that wildlife conservation is treated as a global responsibility rather than a local or optional concern.

If 2025 taught me anything, it’s that growth often comes quietly and that sometimes, simply pausing is enough.