Most of those interviewed mentioned the coming May local elections as factor in the general state of things in the country next year.
The most optimistic view of the New Year comes from lawyer Domingo T. Duerme, senior assistant vice president-Mindanao sales of the Philippine Airlines and incoming president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.
"Positive insofar as travel and economy are concerned. It is election year and we anticipate more movements. More investments are likewise coming up especially in the mining sector," Duerme said.
He also viewed with optimism the favorable weather condition of the region.
"I also believe agricultural production will continue to soar as there is no prediction of prolonged El Niño this year," he said. "Besides, according to Chinese friends, the year of the pig is good."
Another guy who is bullish about agriculture and new investments is Compostela Valley Governor Jose Caballero.
He said Comval and the entire Davao region -- in fact, the entire country -- because of the entry of big investments in his province in mining, banana and palm oil in 2007.
He said new investments are not idle talk because preliminary negotiations and preparations by certain investors have been laid down in 2006.
Comval's first elected governor foresees the rearing of ugly politics in his province aimed at destroying local governance being an election year, but he exuded confidence that "in the end good will triumph over evil."
Paraphrasing a popular adage, Caballero said, evil will only triumph if good men do nothing. He said he believes the good men outnumber the bad ones in Comval.
Ramon Edison Batacan, past president of the Davao City chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and a leading practitioner of corporate law, has this to say: "The state of lawyering in general will be influenced by the political situation that would somehow create sort of a legal climate. For example, issues on the proposed Cha-cha (Charter change) will surely spur political and legal debate that will end up in the corridors of the judiciary."
Batacan said the 2007 elections and the controversies that go with it will certainly give rise to electoral actions.
"Also social issues like graft and corruption and growing public concerns like unabated political crimes not satisfactorily addressed by the government will add up to the olio of legal scenarios for the year 2007," he said, adding "but I can only wish will be good in corporate practice."
Davao City Councilor Jesus A. Zozobrado Jr., founder and senior partner of the Zozobrado law firm, said practice, especially of corporate law, in Davao and the whole country will be good generally because of the upbeat economic situation in 2007, aside from the fact that it is an election year.
Zozobrado, who once served in the nation's prosecution service and the judiciary, cautioned about the downside of law practice nationwide, which is the slow drift of the justice system in considering matters other than merits in deciding cases. He did not elaborate.
Maciste Uy, a young lawyer, said 2007 is an exciting year because of the May elections.
George Regalado, member of the board of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), said one sure thing about the Philippine economy this year is the "continued strengthening of the peso against other currencies."
Land Bank will continue to focus on priority sectors to accomplish the objectives consistent with the mandate enshrined in the bank's charter, Regalado said.
