ILANG tulog na lang 2019 na. You hear that often when as we make the countdown. In this coming year, what do you look forward to? What do we pray for ourselves, for our family, for our friends and for our country?
You should have one prayer at least. Me? So many, but this is the template. Very personal to me. I' Lord make me nice, kind, gentle, forgiving and humble'. Each day. Each morning that's my prayer.
In today's world, because of the internet it now becomes the platform for disseminating with dispatch the messages you want to send. And it will be received in seconds later by the intended recipient. To many, including me, a prayer is faster to reach the Lord than an SMS.
And so, since in few days it will be a new year, I am praying for the Lord’s intercession on these:
Lord, please lessen the typhoons visiting us and remove all the calamities that impoverish further our poor kababayans. Having old people, children particularly shivering in cramped evacuation centers. Pity them Jesus.
Lord, please give us in the next year elections leaders who will unite the Filipino people. Leaders who are caring, selfless and whose only intention is to uplift the living condition of the more than seventy percent of our kababayans living below poverty line. Pity us Jesus.
Lord, give us leaders who are not vengeful, no hatred in their hearts but only mercy and compassion to those who need compassion. Pity them Jesus.
Lord, give us senators and congressmen who are to serve with distinction. Pass laws for the betterment of our country. Lawmakers who will not pocket our tax money or vote what the conscience dictates and not because they were promised or handed more DAP and PDAF and ransack funds from the Road Board.
Lord, give us local officials who will dedicate themselves in the service of their constituents and not allow them to be drunk with power that they will create their own dynasties. Where their wives, children and siblings despite their lack of qualification are fielded for local positions.
Lord, give us government agencies that will protect the public. A transportation and a communication secretary that will really solve the mass transport system, specifically in Manila where the MRT and LRT lines are bogging down so often. And Department of Public Works who can finish infrastructure projects on schedules. Particularly the two bridges in Porac which inconvenienced the motorists for years now.
Lord, give us officials of the Department of Trade and Industry who are zealous and pro-active to protect the consumers from unscrupulous merchants. So greedy businessmen and some owners of shopping malls who increase prices during the holiday season and take advantage of people. Malls who fake and deceive consumers of their frequent bargain sales.
Please, please Lord give us a government in the Republic of the Philippines.
Additional prayers: Lord stop the local officials in Angeles City particularly Mayor Edpam to discontinue the plan to spend P630 million for a sports complex. Instead he can effect a memorandum of agreement with Clark Development Corporation inside the Freeport for a co-management of such a complex... Lord, may the P2.4 billion allotted for the second district will not result to line up pockets of you know who.