Resiliency amidst Uncertainty

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in most areas of our lives, which has brought us stress, anxiety, and fear. Closure of schools, businesses forced to close, bankruptcies due to COVID, unemployed Filipinos, the continuing decline of our economy, and socializing face-to-face is no longer an easy feat. It has been more than a year since the beginning of this pandemic, and no one is sure how much longer it will last. Although things are still uncertain, we Filipinos will manage to overcome this hurdle.

Responding to a public health emergency such as COVID-19 requires effective government institutions capable of delivering both preventive aid and emergency medical care while also maintaining other essential public services. However, our governments' response to the pandemic has been fraught with incompetence and rife with terror. The authorities failed to keep up with the preventive measures of neighboring countries and completely underestimated the virus, which resulted in the uncontrollable surge of cases in the nation. The Philippines was also noticeably late to follow suit when other countries took the early initiative on travel restrictions and emergency measures. And because the government ignored how other countries tackled coronavirus, many lives were lost to this disease.

President Duterte chose a militarized approach to contain the virus, the implementation of strict lockdowns, curfews, and harsh penalties for being outside. He encouraged the armed police forces at checkpoints to “shoot them dead” if anyone were to dare violate the lockdown orders. Many were appalled by the president's blunt declaration during a live television address and have received negative backlash from Filipinos, most of those who live in Metro Manila, as the said remark disregards the fact that the majority of them need to leave home to ensure their daily survival. His way of instilling fear in Filipinos by using authoritarian practices is an escalating threat to human rights, along with his “war on drugs” campaign.

Corruption, sadly, is still prevalent during these trying times. Government officials take advantage of the current situation, knowing people are in dire need of assistance from the government. They embezzle and misuse funds for their gain while many Filipinos starve and suffer. 

Despite all the negative things that the pandemic brought upon us, we're able to adapt and cope with our new way of living normally and overcome the many challenges the coronavirus has brought us. We are slowly building our economy that suffered huge losses due to COVID, non-essential business establishments that were affected the most during these times are opening their doors, and life is gradually going back to pre-COVID times. Filipinos have learned to appreciate what they have, make the most of it, and tolerate difficulties. 

Resilience is a deeply rooted characteristic that makes up the Filipino identity and creates a sense of community and compassion. The pandemic will serve as a lesson to all of us, and we must learn from it – to be more prepared for what is to come in the future, to be a more resilient country in the face of crisis.

Reference: Accountable Governance and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/accountablegovernanceph. The Philippines' Pandemic Response: A Tragedy of Errors. (2020, May 12). Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/pandemicresponseph. Opinion: Is Resilience a natural characteristic in the Philippines, or a necessity in the face of government inaction. (2021, March 6).  Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/phpandemicresponse. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/pinoyresiliency
Sources: Images (1) by Aaron Favila, AP Photo. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/apnewscovid. (2) by Ace Morandante, Philippines Presidential Photo. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/presidentialphotoph. (3) by The Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/resiliencyofthefilipino.