A look back at 2023 by Bing Matoto

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.

But the ultimate high for millions of Gilas basketball fans was the unexpected triumph of the considerably cheaper but hugely popular Justin Brownlee-powered National team in the Asian Games, bringing back to us the crown after 61 years of drought. Never mind if a week after, Brownlee was tagged a dope dupe.

Then, of course, on the collegiate front, La Salle’s tumultuous journey of a dismal first round followed by a second-round sweep en route to finally a championship, but not before being dumped on by the Maroons in their first meeting in the Best-of-Three Finals. Hats off to these hard-working never-give-up Archers for their dramatic turnaround that was a fascinating watch even for the fans of their Katipunan rivals. Never mind if the Blue Eagles missed out on the Championship Finals for the first time after a six-finals streak.

On a more serious note, an event that I would rather forget was the Covid pandemic which brought upon us three years of human misery and severe economic dislocation for millions of Filipinos. Covid was officially declared over by BBM in July, opening the floodgates to revenge spending, travel and capex investments, prompting a declaration by our economic managers that we are now well on our way to recovery. Hopefully, the recent spike of Covid-like influenza cases will be temporary and not derail the momentum.

Another wretched situation the world is now gingerly easing out of is the inflation that triggered doomsday scenarios of a recession on the economic front. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on this one that the Feds’ magic will work and a soft landing will ensue as their guarded interest-easing strategy unfolds.

But the biggest elephants in the room were the global political tensions that erupted in open warfare in Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Palestine. The temper tantrums and saber rattling between China and the US over Taiwan and the South China Sea has to ease several degrees lest we have a truly regrettable convulsion in our neighborhood that will surely hit us in the gut.

Can’t end this piece, however, without mentioning AI which is now looming ominously over mankind. Is it a boon or a bane? Only time will tell.

Until next week… OBF!

For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com.

Reprinted with permission from the PDT

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