OP-ED | What Must Rise This Easter

Not all stories of change begin in hope. Some begin in disillusionment.

From the perspective of those who once believed that tearing the system down was the only path forward, a harder truth has emerged: a nation does not rise from downfall alone, it rises from accountability, discipline, and leadership that genuinely serves its people.

This Easter Sunday, Filipinos are reminded of suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection. Yet beyond the rituals and processions, millions continue to carry burdens that seem unrelenting.

The numbers speak clearly. ₱18.16 trillion in national debt. A peso weakened beyond ₱60 to the dollar. Seemingly unstoppable rising fuel costs driving up food, transport, and basic necessities. These are not just merely statistics because they actually define the everyday struggle of Filipinos.

Across the country, farmers still fight for fair prices. Fisherfolk call for fuel subsidies just to survive a day at sea. Workers stretch wages that no longer meet the cost of living. Despite the messaging of stability, the lived reality for many Filipinos remains fragile and uncertain.

But beyond economic hardship lies another danger: deception.

There are groups that continue to present themselves as champions of the people, serving the people cloaked in legal fronts and activism, yet rooted in the same ideology that has long fueled armed conflict. The line between legitimate dissent and ideological manipulation becomes blurred when narratives are designed not to uplift communities, but to recruit, radicalize, and destabilize. These movements thrive not only on inequality but on misinformation, on frustration, and on the failure of governance itself. 

This is the deeper social reality: when governance is weak, space is created not just for hardship but for exploitation. Resurrection, then, is not a slogan. It is not propaganda. It is transformation grounded in truth.

The question this Easter is not only what must rise but also what must be exposed. More and more Filipinos are seeing through the narrative clearly: beyond rhetoric, beyond ideology, beyond narratives that promise change but deliver division.

Because real change does not come from tearing institutions apart, nor from disguising old ideologies in new forms. It comes from strengthening governance, demanding accountability, and refusing to be misled.

Easter reminds the nation that after suffering, something new must rise. For the Philippines, that cannot be illusion. It must be the truth and better governance.