Most of the time, we discover the efficiency, effectivity, and resiliency of our leaders in times of

adversity. However, even with the most advance scientific technology, no one can be prepared with a
fast mutating viral infection that spreads rapidly not only in an entire country but also in a worldwide
community. In an article published by TIME, "In Battle against Coronavirus, Humanity Lacks Leadership",
the author, Yuval Noah Harari, pointed out that humankind became ever more vulnerable to epidemics,
due to combination of growing populations and better transport." Innovations in technology can fast
track the transport of viruses from one country to another in just a matter of hours.

While the world leaders endeavor to contain the quick spread of COVID-19, they, at the same time, have
to take into account a lot of contradicting factors such as preparedness of their respective countries for
such health emergencies and at the same time not causing panic. They also have to consider the crucial
economic toll whilst recognizing the risk the health crisis may pose to the people. These factors may lead
to underreporting and eventually downplaying of what is currently transpiring. At the beginning of the
outbreak in Wuhan, China, local authorities failed to report the outbreak until weeks after it began and
downplayed the likelihood of human transmission due to lack of trust in the aggressive response of the
federal government of China until whistleblowers stepped forward. This delay cost China valuable time
in containing the initial outbreak.

In the case of the Philippines, competent local government officials are coming out and taking the lead,
with their fresh style of leadership and innovative measures, hopefully influencing other leaders to take
initiative. Be that as it may, in times of crisis, however efficient a civil servant can be, it is difficult for
members of the community to follow new sets of rules and regulations, strictly implemented, if it
compromises their livelihood. For a family of 3 or more children, earning for their day to day living is far
more important than their lives. Lack of information and guarantee of support plays a vital role in the
resistance of members of the community towards the guidelines set by the government in containing
and preventing the spread of the virus. In the same article, Yuval Noah Harari stated that "the best
defense humans have against pathogens is not isolation - it is information". Moreover, in smaller units
of government like the barangay, many are still dependent on the city and/or provincial government,
waiting for instructions and lacking initiative. Some barangays have declared enhanced community
quarantine but are still lenient with the implementation of home quarantine and social distancing.

Slow response, lack of coordination, and inconsistency may cause mistrust for its citizens. People get
confused with leaders who keep on changing their directives and not acting in coordination. However, if
people are confident with their leaders, aware that their public officials are prepared and ready to take
on the challenges, and most importantly, equipped to provide for their needs while in the confinement
of their homes, it will be easy for the people to follow commands and not to panic. This will also make
the citizens feel that they have someone in control.

In a broader sense, a proactive approach and firm stand in leadership in smaller government units may
lessen the burden of the national government from having additional worries. Although it is true that we
need someone to lead the rest of the world in fighting this crisis, taking the responsibility of keeping
their boundaries checked locally reduces the load of the international community in battling COVID-19
for the rest of the world.
Crisis management for COVID-19 is possibly the most challenging test for our leaders because we do not
have a similar historical solution where the threat is evolving constantly. We can only learn from the
strategies of other countries that produced the best outcome. History will judge how our leaders
manage in stopping an invisible virus with the capacity to destroy the foundation of societies, leaving
death, damaged immune systems and economies in its wake. Fighting this crisis is a mutual obligation.
To contain and prevent the virus from spreading, we need both the leaders, spearheading the battle,
and the members of the community to take charge and be responsible for themselves as we fight this
crisis.

In a Netflix Original Korean drama series Kingdom, set in the Joseon dynasty in the 17th century, tells the
story of Crowned Prince who finds his kingdom plagued by corruption, famine and viral infection. The
Crown Prince is accused of treason and he flees the palace after being forbidden from seeing his father.
The heir apparent to the throne sets out on a journey to find a cure for his father’s mysterious illness.
The prince then ends up investigating an outbreak caused by a zombie virus. Amidst this zombie
invasion, the Crown Prince also has to deal with a political takeover. He has to guard against Prime
Minister and the Queen, who is determined to seize power by any means necessary. We might see the
parallelism on how governments manage health crisis. You have a government trying to hide
information from the public just to stay in power. You see the rich and the wealthy saving themselves
while leaving the poor behind. You have medical practitioners doing their best to find the cure to the
disease. At the end of season 2, they were able to temporarily overcome the virus. However, the threat
is still there and the hunt for the cure did not stop. In reality, we might be able to fight this virus through
vaccines but the threat of viral mutation is still there. Our leaders should realize that winning the short-
term problem isn’t a long-term solution. A successful response can also become the beginning of
rebuilding inclusive, meritocratic and accountable leadership, at the national level and globally. I find
that COVID 19 is not only a reset button for humanity but also a wake-up call for our leaders. That we do
not only need a successful economy but also a readily available excellent health care system.