Potenciano Clarito C.

Chavez
P-LM15

COVID-19 Pandemic, wake-up call for better management planning

It has been just 4 months ago since the start of the year but the challenges that had come
seemed to be good for a decade. There has been a lot of issues surrounding the country from the Taal
Volcano eruption to the ABS-CBN franchise issue up to the current pandemic that the globe is facing.
2019 marked significant accounts that may have alerted the public of what is yet to come. Alert Level 1
for the volcano has remained in effect on December of that year, in the same month that the President
had told ABS-CBN not to expect any franchise renewal upon its expiration this year. Ultimately, in the
last day of 2019, Chinese authorities already alerted the World Health Organization of pneumonia cases
in its provinces without any known cause. However, without anyone expecting that the worst is yet to
come, it has been a very tragic experience for the whole country, indeed.

Bad news is an ordinary fact that Filipinos encounter in their daily lives. Murders, rapes,
robberies—Filipinos are not new to it. However, the unceasing turn of events have overwhelmed
everyone, even the government itself. The country has not redeemed itself yet from the crisis in
Batangas. Several towns were wiped away in dust and a lot of families were troubled in their living.
Apart from the day-to-day bad news, the rise of this 2020 pandemic created a lot more dilemma to the
most susceptible.

The birth of the then-called “2019-nCov” has been a mystery disease that is said to have
originated in China. Thailand, thereafter reported their own positive case followed by Japan and South
Korea. In the latter months, the USA and many European countries, especially Italy, were already
devastated by this now called “COVID-19.” As numbers continue to grow in many parts of the world,
China was able to control their own up to the present time.

Healthcare has been an integral part of one’s society. Whether or not the nation is at the time of
distress, its citizens would always appreciate how the government would care for their health. Local
government units have their own budget allocation to propose better services to their constituents.
Meanwhile, the national government yearly appropriates the budget to enable the execution of
programs and projects for the welfare of its people. The Philippines, being classified as a third-world
country should definitely look forward to this kind of investment. In the first 3 years of the current
administration, figures are way higher than the budget allocation of the previous government’s last 3
years. Record shows that from 2013-2015, Aquino’s administration budgeted an average of more than
P70 billion for healthcare compared to over P100 billion allocation of Duterte’s administration from

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2016-2018. However, more than just the financial support in paper, concrete plans and activities backed
up by transparency should be felt by the general public. In this case, our country is absolutely not ready
to fight the virus as how powerhouse China was able to do in a matter of fewer time and not even the
rich Western countries were shielded by their wealth and prosperity. This is the season that people
around the globe would feel equal in the eyes of death.

Early remarks of local officials made several class suspensions in the Metro Manila on March
2020. To note at that time, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases
(IATF-MID) had no clear announcement yet on the findings and possible measures that the government
shall implement.

Day by day, confirmed cases rise together with recorded deaths. As of April 12, there are 4,648
cases in the country with nearly 300 deaths due to this virus. In the span of a month, there are still no
clear advantage on the conduct of the government to totally eliminate this pandemic scare as early as
possible. Although there were several pronouncements of community quarantine in the entire country,
it failed to control the spread of the disease most especially in Metro Manila. Worst, it is very relevant to
note that if the government is working unprepared in the first month of the quarantine, what more is it
to an ordinary working citizen.

Poor healthcare in a country where poverty is prevalent easily takes away lives of both the
ignorant and the innocent adding the fact of having leaders in front of hard headed Filipino people.

It was a good thought of thinking that what if federalism was pursued and finalized, will there be
a change in the implementation of solving the pandemic scare? In consideration of what has been asked
before, should emergency powers given to the President be done earlier than expected? With enough
knowledge of the spread in neighboring countries, should the government have made earlier
pronouncements of lockdown in the country especially as against people coming from other countries?

The working committee to advise the President in controlling the spread of the disease acted
with less efficiency as expected during times of crisis, considering the span of time that passed since the
birth of the virus and amount of resources and capability provided thereto. In other words, they acted
poorly than expected. More so, the guidelines that they have provided in the first day in work should
have encapsulated the big concept of controlling the source of the virus.

Information dissemination on what is the virus all about should have been the first initiative of
the task force in coordination with the health officials in the country and the local government units.

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Poor knowledge of Filipinos regarding the disease would definitely place our country in a more
disastrous situation. It is like a law that has been passed but not published in general circulation or the
Official Gazette. People of this country would be moving without knowing what kind of disease are they
dealing with and what actions of them would cause it to further rise. It is very hard to move on a ground
without knowing what is happening. With enough efforts to let the public know about the virus, they
must aware of the consequences of their actions.

It may be part of our culture to be socially-oriented people, however strict guidelines must
pronounce that Filipinos must learn to adjust for the sake of the state. These guidelines must be well-
coordinated to the local government units, as well as the working plan to be followed to reach the goal
of clearing the country with this pandemic. In reality, these guidelines were subjected to different
interpretations, and no clear additional budget allocation to local regions were announced. For once, it
made people think that the Manila only has a mayor and does not have a President.

The main problem that we have encountered with since time immemorial is poor governance in
implementing the “what should be done” because of people not working towards a unified goal.

China, Thailand and many other nations have started to flatten the curve of the COVID-19
infected individuals. From the point of origin of the virus, that is a first-world country to a third-world
country, that is of the same stature as the Philippines, the aforementioned countries are fighting the
pandemic just as efficient as expected to a government. However, upon analysis of the graph illustrating
the additional and existing cases of the virus, the Philippines struggled to act as precisely and skillfully as
the former did.

The imposition of the enhanced community quarantine has been the content of the television,
radio, newspapers and the social media. From the month of March up to the present, the government
continuously sets an extension for the said quarantine. Evidently, it has been considered more as a
problem of the frontliners than a solution to the pandemic. Lack of actual and practical solution coming
from the national government created more actual problems to the local government units in the
country, most especially to the Metro. The purpose of the quarantine has faded as time pass by, people
would want to go back to their normal lives, “they need to work, they need to eat,” the reason—
poverty.

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In the latter months, it seems that the government and the people are preparing not to totally
provide a solution to the pandemic. Instead, the preparation is geared towards what is termed to as the
“new normal.”

With the incapacity of the government to provide the basic needs of every Filipino, it has
purported in implementing “general community quarantine” which would give more free space for them
to move around the community. The only foreseen solution of the government this time that is
unavailable is a vaccine, to which the government also does not also have the capacity to actually
produce. The health department is also actually taking a lot of unfavorable moves, for instance is the
declaration that a second wave has come to the country. It created a big buzz not just in the country but
all throughout the world.

Filipino health workers who fight the pandemic not just in the Philippines but also outside the
country is ailing for support. Thousands of them incurred the same virus for reaching out to those who
needs a cure for the virus. A number of health workers has died during the span of the quarantine.
Worst, people who die within the period of quarantine cannot be able to be buried as usual. The
instability of salaries of health workers in the country has also been an issue. However, the President
wants to stop the migration of Filipino health workers amid the crisis.

A famous OPM song goes this way: “Iniwan ka na ng eroplano, ok lang baby huwag kang
magbago. Dito ka lang humimbing sa aking piling, antukin… Sasalubungin natin ang kinabukasan ng
walang takot at walang pangamba. Tadhana’y mayroong tip na makapangyarihan, kung ayaw may
dahilan, kung gusto hahalikan na lang natin ang kinabukasan ng buong loob at yayakapin pa. Tadhana’y
medyo overrated kung minsan. Kung ayaw may dahilan, kung gusto palaging mayroong paraan. Gumawa
na lang tayo ng paraan.”

Time and again, the government lack in supporting the capacity of Filipino workers. It drives our
skilled and knowledgeable workers to search jobs outside the country, jobs that it cannot also provide
for them in their motherland. These jobs could have the capacity to provide food to their families, and
food that the government cannot provide for everyone during this time.

The Philippines is an agricultural country. For once, the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) is in its borders. However, Philippines is said to have a problem to provide food for everyone. It
lacks managers to allocate resources and plan out better management suitable for the long run.

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A post in the social media from @ohitsmiko says: “We need more epidemiologists,
biostatisticians, data scientists, data engineers, data architects, analytics manager, spatial analysts. We
should build this capacity for these disciplines so we will be very prepared for the next pandemics.”

A good chief executive of the country should have foreseen the critical situations that is to
come, with or without a pandemic on its way. #Halalan2022 is a chance for everyone to choose wisely.

References:

1. Abad, M. (2020, April 8). ‘Modified’ community quarantine can be explored to flatten COVID-19
curve—study. https://www.rappler.com/nation/257178-modified-community-quarantine-can-
be-explored-flatten-coronavirus-curve-study
2. ABS-CBN News (2020, February 23). TIMELINE: ABS-CBN franchise renewal. https://news.abs-
cbn.com/news/02/23/20/timeline-abs-cbn-franchise-renewal
3. Bernal, B. (2020, April 4). Urban poor in Philippines’ Luzon face consequences of enhanced
community quarantine. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/urban-poor-in-
philippines-luzon-face-consequences-of-enhanced-12610178
4. Blanco, R. (N.D.). Antukin. AZ Lyrics. https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ricoblanco/antukin.html
5. CNN Philippines Staff (2020, March 7). Class suspensions, work-from-home sought amid local
coronavirus cases. https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/3/7/class-suspensions-work-from-
home.html?fbclid=IwAR17tlOLHpY9SE5WuObxvky_8AEJnE2-
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6. CNN Philippines Staff (2020, April 12). DOH: COVID-19 death toll nears 300 as cases rise to 4,648.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/12/Philippines-COVID-19-cases-update.html
7. Department of Health (2020, April 12). COVID-19 CASE TRACKER.
https://www.doh.gov.ph/covid-19/case-tracker
8. Department of Health (N.D.). DOH Budget. https://www.doh.gov.ph/doh-budget
9. Geducos, A. (2020, May 5). Duterte wants to stop migration of Filipino health workers amid
COVID-19 crisis. Manila Bulletin. https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/05/duterte-wants-to-stop-
migration-of-filipino-health-workers-amid-covid-19-crisis/
10. Jalea, G. (2020, April 1). Lawmaker calls for 30-day extension of Luzon-wide quarantine.
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/1/congressman-proposes-another-30-day-
extension-Luzon-lockdown-covid-19.html

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11. Merez, A. (2020, March 16). Luzon under enhanced community quarantine as COVID-19 cases
rise. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/16/20/duterte-places-luzon-under-enhanced-
community-quarantine-to-fight-covid-19
12. PhilStar Global (2020, April 12). Enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.
https://www.philstar.com/happens/856
13. Rappler (2020, March 18). GUIDELINES: Luzon ‘enhanced community quarantine’.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/254783-full-text-guidelines-luzon-enhanced-
community-quarantine
14. Ravelo, J.L. & Jerving, S. (2020, April 12). COVID-19—a timeline of the coronavirus outbreak.
https://www.devex.com/news/covid-19-a-timeline-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak-96396
15. United Nations Development Programme (N.D.). COVID-19 pandemic: Humanity needs
leadership and solidarity to defeat the coronavirus.
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/coronavirus.html
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topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
17. Zulueta, L. (2020, April 13). Research paper by Chinese scientists shows COVID-19 came from
Wuhan biolab. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/360950/research-paper-by-chinese-scientists-
shows-covid-19-came-from-wuhan-biolab/?
utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2ngvn6KOpnZs
NJaLpHSvYij0ms0B7kwBNVogWX8cysLvvvcDkYs2FAnWo#Echobox=1586727244