Managing risks, finding solutions and working together

A YEAR ago, the country didn’t know how to handle and manage Covid-19. The capacities were not there, protocols were still to be defined and instead of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Department of Health becoming the lead agencies, the so-called whole of government was invoked creating an inter-agency task force that practically duplicated the full Cabinet in the effort. The local governments were belatedly integrated into the task force that has allowed the granularity of approach today.

Yes, we did flatten the curve as critics kept denying until they were blue in the face. People sacrificed during Christmas and New Year, but the first quarter of the year was different. The guards were allowed to be lowered, but data were not continually studied to relate the data collected last March to the rollout of vaccines. Contact tracing was slackened and quarantines were not considered and strains grew as we reached March. Filipinos were traveling by air, land and sea, believing the worst was over and hoping that we could visit our family and relatives or just enjoy the near summer breaks. But alas, too many strains were coming from other countries and developed nations were having hard lockdowns to contain the spread. It’s like we don’t move, we don’t spread. But Filipinos are hardheaded, apart from being fatalistic. So, off we go in the process of getting our lives back not minding the impact of our reckless behavior.