IF there’s keeping up with the Joneses, there’s keeping up with high-carb dieters. Which became my hard habit to break while saying goodbye to 2025, the Year of the Snake.
Will this habit continue in 2026, the Year of the Horse? That’s hiya tigidig. No more hiss. From slithering on the ground to strutting on the ground.
This is the time for New Year’s resolutions. Keep the list in a secret place so it remains precious, and if ever not even one is achieved, only you will know.
New Year’s resolutions are much like the 13 round fruits that the Pinoy buys to attract prosperity in welcoming the new year. Supermarkets and fruit vendors have baskets filled with fruits, no need to decide which is round or not. The fruit basket I bought is now on the dining table and it has a pineapple. Is it round? Hmmm.
My unwritten resolutions include the carnivore diet, of course. It’s one topic that has been mentioned in this column for far too many times, to convince myself of its perks. Because, based on my food intake these last few weeks, it seems I’m not convinced yet.
Gymming is most difficult after a carb intake when body pains and aches make a major comeback. Even body odor, bad breath, and snoring manage to insert themselves into the equation. And all along I thought carbs are perfect for good health.
My body must be confused by now as it asks, Ano ba talaga? What diet do I prefer?
I’ll be celebrating my fifth year anniversary as a low-carb dieter in February 2026 puhon. By then, there should be no more confusion, no more experimentation on what works or not.
The usual Pinoy noche buena and media noche have carbs: spaghetti, macaroni salad, and fruit salad. Which may cost P500. Or not.
Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Cristina Roque said that P500 is enough for the simple noche buena for four people. Operative word: simple. Other operative words: four people. Because if the operative words were “noche buena,” that might have included lechon.
But Christmas is not about the food on the table, it’s about your favorite people.
So, in addition to resolutions, this is also the time to make muni-muni on your list of favorite people.
But with Christmas on fast-forward, who has the time to make lists?
Not me, said the Cagayanon as he squeezed through traffic while rushing from one party to the next.
Not me, said the business, lot, and/or home owner as he tried to beat the deadline for Cagayan de Oro’s 2026 real property taxes which have a 20-percent discount if paid on or before Dec. 31, 2025. I think there’s an increase in 2026 but it wasn’t much felt by those who availed of the discount.
Not me, said me as I’ve reached that age where I’m like the sloth, Flash Slothmore, in “Zootopia” while taking things ever so slowly.
How slowly? Oh. There was the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) sending a Letter of Authority (LOA) and I was like, How much?
But no LOAs for now. There’s some kind of suspense, er, suspension.
2025 has been a year of taxes, dealing with the government, meeting government deadlines. By the time the Discaya news came out, it became the cherry on top of icing on the cake. That’s where our taxes go. Ouch.
