Celebs embrace lessons from 2020, hopes for 2021

The year 2020 wasn’t quite what everyone had expected. But as taxing and frustrating the year was, it was, in some ways, sobering character-building—one that inspired introspection and led to new learnings. In this forum, celebrities shared with the Inquirer their realizations from the past year and their hopes for 2021.

LOVI POE

Despite everything that happened the past year, there were so many things to be thankful for. Although it seemed like everything went on standstill and we were all forced to slow down, a positive way of looking at it is that it was truly a year of reflection and enlightenment.

I’m grateful that this year ended with deeper compassion and appreciation for life. It’s truly the simple things and joys that matter most!

KEN CHAN

I’m extremely grateful for the good health of my family and, with God’s blessing, the creation of new business prospects in the food and beverage industry.

I’m thankful for still having strong hope that we will have a better year this 2021. My goal is simply to maintain my good health. And I’m hoping for the same for my family and those I love. I’m also wishing that the vaccines get distributed to the people who need them most first.

AI-AI DELAS ALAS

I’m grateful we didn’t catch COVID-19 … that we survived the year.

My wish is to be able to go to the United States and other countries again to have concerts. I would also love to go on vacation with my family.

GISELLE SANCHEZ

As an artist, I learned that I can actually host events, sing and perform stand-up comedy alone from my home studio for a virtual audience. As a person, I realized that I can brave COVID-19 to feed the homeless (a longtime advocacy that she pursues through her namesake foundation … and as the winner of the 2020 Noble Queen of the Universe International pageant.)

My hope for 2021 is for people to be able to gather again, to praise God, party and attend events and concerts. The energy is really different when people gather together. I hope I can perform again for multitudes of people.

MANOLO PEDROSA

I learned that no matter how bad things can get, you can still learn, improve and succeed. Health is also so much more important to me now. I want to be more fit and explore other acting opportunities, especially in movies.

JOHN ESTRADA

The only positive thing about this pandemic is that I had more time to attend to my family: We bonded by eating meals together and sharing stories with each other after; playing board games; singing along with them; watching series or movies; playing sports; and even cleaning the house.

These are the things we were not able to do before because of my busy schedule. There’s no better way to do such things than doing them with the people you love. And I plan to continue these in the coming years.

LIEZEL LOPEZ

This year, I realized that there’s no permanent thing in this world, and that you always have to be in the moment and enjoy the little things and achievements. My goal for 2021 is to improve myself and my career.

THERESE MALVAR

I learned to become grateful for the presence of those around me. Despite our circumstances, we were able to bond, virtually. I became even more fond of those I love, and I wish the best for them. Most of all, my main takeaway is to love and care for each other, because no matter what happens in the world, we will have each other. We also need more compassion to help one another.

I have been raring to do some reading again. I wasn’t able to read the books I bought in 2019, so hopefully this year, I get to finish reading them all. And if the virus is gone by then, I would finally be able to travel with my family!

RITA DANIELA

I’m grateful for the opportunity for us to be humble, which allowed us to be more generous to our fellow Filipinos. I’m hoping for a healthier and wiser Rita this 2021.

TANYA GARCIA

This pandemic really opened my eyes and made me truly aware that we, humans, are very fragile by ourselves. We really need to be part of a community—we can’t live without relationships, and we must never forget that. We relied on one another, didn’t we?

There was a sense of community through Viber groups and bayanihan within our areas. It made me realize everything can end tomorrow, so always appreciate what we have now. The year 2020 taught me to be more appreciative of what I have and value the gift of life. It also made me focus on what truly is important to me, which is my family.

I want to keep with me all the learnings from 2020 and try to be a better me. I will focus on being healthy for my children, so I can grow old with them.