My 2026 wishlist for the Philippines

2025 was loud. Hearings were livestreamed. Clips traveled faster than transcripts. Scandals were documented in real time. And yet the year still ended with the same feeling: exposure didn’t automatically turn into consequence.

So for 2026, here’s the wishlist not the feel-good kind, but the “what would actually change daily life” kind.

1) An anti-dynasty law that isn’t designed to fail

Not a bill that looks strict in headlines but quietly allows succession, placeholder candidates, and family “rotation.” If the Constitution already points to banning dynasties, then the next step is a definition that can’t be gamed.

2) Fewer “urgent” speeches, more measurable deadlines

2025 reminded us how easy it is for leaders to say the right thing without moving anything. In 2026, I want deadlines the public can track: filing dates, committee votes, published versions of drafts, and reasons for delay, on the record.

3) Disinformation hearings that produce enforceable follow-through

If Senate hearings keep naming the problem but stop short of outcomes, then the country stays stuck in diagnosis mode. In 2026, the wishlist is simple: clear enforcement pathways, platform accountability that’s not cosmetic, and public reporting that doesn’t disappear when the news cycle shifts.

4) Accountability that can’t be blocked by procedure alone

The Supreme Court ruling on the Sara Duterte impeachment fight sharpened a hard truth: procedure can protect fairness, but it can also become a shield that prevents scrutiny. In 2026, the goal is not “ignore due process.” It’s “stop using due process as the end of the story.”

5) Flood control reform that ends in cases, not just coverage

Flooding isn’t an abstract policy failure. It’s water in homes, lost income, ruined school days. If 2025 taught anything, it’s that corruption becomes most undeniable when it’s physical. In 2026, I want outcomes: project audits that lead to charges where warranted, blacklisting of repeat offenders, and procurement that the public can inspect.

6) Oversight bodies with teeth (not just “findings”)

A commission that can only “recommend” is easy to ignore. In 2026, the wishlist is real enforcement: stronger mandates, adequate staffing, and a public trail of what happens after the reports are submitted.

7) Citizen anger that doesn’t fade after the water recedes

“Baha sa Luneta” mattered because it pushed frustration out of comment sections and into real space. In 2026, I want more civic action that’s sustained, coordinated, and protected especially beyond Metro Manila.

8) Real movement toward justice for drug war victims

Blocking interim release at the ICC mattered to families because it signaled that the process is still alive. But 2026 needs more than symbolic weight. The wishlist is continued traction  without losing the human faces behind the case.

9) A West Philippine Sea stance that’s consistent, not reactive

I want fewer “incident-by-incident” reactions and more clarity: what the Philippines will defend, how it will respond, and how it will keep citizens informed without sugarcoating risk. Consistency is policy. Confusion is vulnerability.

10) Practical AI guardrails that show up in law, procurement, and daily systems

Calls for “AI red lines” are a reminder that speed without limits has real costs. In 2026, I want guardrails that don’t stay as global statements: standards, audits, and public accountability for how AI is used in government, elections, and security.

11) Media ethics as a norm for creators, not a badge for journalists

If more people now shape public opinion than traditional newsrooms, then ethical standards can’t stay locked inside journalism. In 2026: clearer norms on sourcing, labeling, corrections, and transparency—because credibility is infrastructure too.

12) Less “tainted witness” drama, more systems that protect evidence and truth

The “bagman” storyline is a reminder that high-stakes allegations often arrive through messy messengers. In 2026, the wishlist is better safeguards: credible investigation, stronger witness protection where needed, and less reliance on spectacle as “proof.”

If 2025 was the year of exposure, 2026 should be the year consequences finally catch up.