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The year that concluded ends with the same promising round number that only comes around once a century. So it’s a shame we can’t say 2010 was more than a six for our long-suffering country.
Far from a perfect ten was 2010. But at least it was less imperfect than 2009, the year bloodied by the Maguindanao Massacre and submerged by the so-called 100-year rain of tropical storm Ondoy, followed by the epic flooding caused by Pepeng. That was also the year when the nation lost its democracy icon, Cory Aquino. Give 2009 a four.
2010 featured the country’s first automated national election that many expected to fail but surprised nearly everyone when it didn’t. Cory’s son Noynoy won in a landslide by vowing to be the opposite of the deeply disliked Gloria Arroyo. A typhoon or two did visit the country, but not nearly with the same savagery as Ondoy or Pepeng. The year actually had a chance to be an eight.
Then the August 23 Manila hostage drama unfolded live before the world, exposing the incompetence of the police, the negligence of the judicial system, and perhaps even the lackadaisical leadership of the new president. That took at least three points off to make most of the year a mediocre five.
Then in the run-up to the holidays, a group of heretofore unknowns called the Azkals kicked their way onto the national radar and injected the public with a dose of morale. That was worth at least a point, thus the final score of six in our highly subjective judgment of the year 2010.
SPECIAL REPORT:
GMA News.TV 2010 Year-End Review
