Always expect the unexpected – COVID-19 is not yet over

We have already reached the one-year mark of COVID-19 in the country. Just as we enter a new year of another COVID-19 challenge, we are faced with figures that are unimaginable but quite expected.

During this one-year experience of the “new normal,” I have learned to always expect the unexpected. Every second, every minute, every hour, every day – anything can happen. We can suddenly have a worldwide lockdown or a city lockdown. We may experience hunger, sickness, death, unemployment, bankruptcy or a company shut down. How many more months or years will this pandemic take? Even countries which seem to be in control are falling. Sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. It has been a really crazy ride and the only way to survive is to keep trying.

A few weeks ago, NCR local government units were already planning on easing COVID-19 restrictions. In fact, a shift from GCQ to MGCQ was deliberated on with warnings coming from the UP-OCTA research group. Since our COVID-19 cases suddenly increased last week (bringing the number of COVID-19 cases to more than 600,000 and last Friday’s highest recorded daily case of 4,578) many local government units have started releasing new COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines again. Unlike the Metro Manila mayors who released a simple and standard curfew restriction (although some may still release more), other provincial LGUs are creating more confusion by releasing way too many guidelines that seem too fired up. Can’t the League of Governors/Mayors and IATF just come up with a unified guide, just like a unified COVID QR code everybody has been asking for? Why not standardize restriction guidelines for ECQ, GCQ, and MGCQ? This way bus drivers, local commuters, public and private operators and personnel will not be confused. Abangan!

Government’s vaccine program seems to only focus on public ‘free’ vaccinations. What about the small to large private entities wanting to also procure COVID-19 vaccines? What programs are available out there? In order to achieve a successful vaccination program, the private sector should already be tapped. There are a few big companies who have announced their COVID-19 vaccine procurement. What about the rest of the private sector who can help speed up the goal of achieving some sort of “herd immunity?” Hospitals should also start offering vaccines to interested clients.

The country’s vaccination program officially began on March 1, 2021 shortly after the arrival of the first batch of vaccines from Sinovac. To ensure that the vaccines, particularly the temperature-sensitive ones, will be rolled out with minimal problems, a dry run was conducted. It must be recalled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued emergency use authorizations (EUA) to the Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines. There are still eight other vaccines on order for the program that are at varying stages of development.

By the way, according to Reuters, the Philippines has administered at least 114,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccines across the country so far. This means, assuming every person needs two doses, that’s enough to have vaccinated about 0.1 percent of the country’s population. In last week’s report, the Philippines averaged about 6,781 doses administered each day. At this rate, it will take a further 3,189 days to administer enough doses for another 10 percent of the population. The mass vaccination program is set to start in May 2021.

On a softer note, what lessons have we learned from our COVID-19 experience? At the World Policy Forum, Dennis Snower, president of the Global Solutions Initiative, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic lays our lives bare and forces us to appreciate our most essential needs and our highest values. It forces us to appreciate the true value of many people whose roles in society tend to be undervalued: the nurses, the hospital orderlies, the people sitting at the checkout counters in supermarkets, the delivery personnel, the many nameless strangers who suddenly offer help to the old and vulnerable.

“The pandemic has revealed a vast sea of kindness and benevolence in our communities around the world. It has led to countless acts of selfless heroism in hospitals and care homes. It has impelled many of us to use our greatest strengths to serve our greatest purposes, suddenly giving our lives new, inspiring meaning.”

He added: “…In most of our endeavors, we are interdependent. One individual cannot succeed without the cooperation of others. We cooperate at many different scales – local, regional and national. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the danger of ignoring our interdependence and the importance of global cooperation. It shows us with crystal clarity that all of humanity is in the same boat. Since the virus can be defeated somewhere only when it is defeated everywhere, it shows us the terrible folly of pretending that we can achieve security in isolation, within the borders of our nation, culture, class or religion...The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates to us that our economic, political and social systems can serve our needs and purposes only when they induce us to cooperate at the appropriate scale.”

I hope we can work toward this goal – COOPERATION!

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Duterte’s new law (under RA 11259) of breaking Palawan into three provinces is awaiting confirmation from last Saturday’s plebiscite. In the new law Palawan will be divided into: Palawan del Norte (Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linapacan, Taytay and El Nido); Palawan del Sur (Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Española, Brooke’s Point, Balabac, Bataraza, Kalayaan); Palawan Oriental (Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cagayancillo and San Vicente).

Who is behind the split up aside from the political dynasties of Palawan? Breaking down regions, provinces and cities will weaken environmental foundations, not to mention exploitation of marine sanctuaries, illegal trade of wildlife, illegal logging and mining – making it open to both local and foreign abuse. Why do this to Palawan? We have way too many rich natural resources in the area that need to be protected. Why shake the ground when many irregularities are already happening in the West Philippine Sea area?

In every challenge that life brings us, let us continue to pray and be prepared – always expect the unexpected.