Once more, we hope for change

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The whole country will eagerly watch today the inauguration and assumption of office of a new President. By itself, the ceremony is not an unusual one, because we have gone through it several times in the past years, in fact, every six years since the amendment of our Constitution. The process will be practically the same, the outgoing and incoming president arrive together at the chosen site – this time the Quirino Grandstand at the historic Luneta – where the newly-elected one takes his oath of office.There will be other rituals and performances, but the outgoing leader will soon depart to return to a private life. In this case, however, the former president has opted to remain in public service, this time in a lower position, as Representative in Congress of her home province. This is a change from the ordinary course of things, because none of our previous presidents have returned to politics after their stint in the Palace.But change is what characterizes this new administration, because this is what its incoming officials have promised their people when they campaigned for the offices they are going to assume as of today. And this change is expected to happen, not only in the manner of governance, nor in the constitution of the cabinet that will assist the new officials, but largely in the greater participation of the people, which is hoped to do away with the practices in the past that had enabled so much graft and corruption to exist that our country has become one of the most notorious in the world.Our new leaders have assured that they will allow this participation and that they will listen to the voice of the people with a more receptive ear than what the previous ones had accorded them. We also see hope in the choices made of those who will constitute the members of the new cabinet.We have hoped for change before, but have been frustrated. Let us now pray, and commit ourselves to do the best we can to help the ones we elected attain our mutual hopes for our beloved country’s progress.*