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Even at a time in which various vaccines have been distributed to curb the pandemic, the Philippines still struggles to face another一 that of the incompetence of its own government. As of June 2021, only 3.3% of the population is vaccinated while the rest are still vulnerable to the virus itself, with their only protection being randomized community quarantine classifications and their own personal protective equipment.
As the government claims that it has gone the extra mile in pandemic response for economic recovery; perhaps it is correct, although the said mile in question is a thousand steps backwards.
Since the start of the pandemic, it had been the common clamor of the government officials to reopen the economy; with the steps taken to do so by means of loosening quarantine restrictions and opening up establishments. However, the whole process can be deemed a double-edged sword, especially since it had been deliberately forgotten that public health interventions are the solution to economic recession. It is by means of health measures that people are ultimately protected from the virus; and that is where economic solutions can come into play in order to ensure a broader scope of national recovery.
In line with this, it was said by Vaccine Czar Sec. Carlito Galvez that economic revival will be ensured once 50% of the population is vaccinated. However, with the advent of vaccine hesitancy and line-hopping, such a goal could be deemed out of reach; especially when the government itself had fueled the former with countless controversies beforehand. Such are even aggravated by the fact that vaccination had not yet been hastened, with less than 5% of the population inoculated.
Although Galvez’ ambitious expectation is understandable, such may not even be attainable when people like Gibo Teodoro, a former government official who was not even a frontliner nor a senior citizen, were given a shot and were backed by government officials like Sara Duterte, whom he thanked when he got his shot. Line-hopping is a dangerous practice especially since people who are actually in need of the vaccine might be set aside in favor of those who have connections, compromising their chance of immunization against the virus.
Temporary solutions to medical problems are not advisable, especially when the solutions in question were not backed by science. In spite of limited data being available, Ivermectin was being advocated and later on approved for mass dispensing as a drug for COVID-19, no thanks to Rep. Mike Defensor who, in the first place, does not even have a medical background.
The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) and the Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA) condemned the distribution of the said antiparasitic drug due to the premise that nothing had been published yet about its effectiveness and safety and also because it is an unregistered product; and it’s about time for the government to also do the same as administration of the said drug might lead to other public health issues.
While the government and its supporters have repeatedly claimed that the Philippines has been doing well in handling the pandemic, it is only reasonable to think otherwise since countless inconsequential measures have been taken and are being implemented. To constantly gaslight the masses that it had been at fault for the surge in cases is a foolish move, especially since not only are some government officials breaching quarantine protocols; they also implement questionable policies that give the people false sense of security and sometimes, resort to inaction as an ultimate response.
Curbing the pandemic is a process consisting of several difficult mechanisms and systems that are better understood by medical professionals. Such an obvious solution must be undertaken by the government instead of appointing random generals in health-related institutions; since a sensitive and heavy issue merits the supervision of people with expertise. Moreover, President Rodrigo Duterte must also use not only his excessive emergency powers but also the trillions of pesos borrowed in order to actually finance the COVID-19 pandemic response. Instead of policing people who do “politicking” amidst the pandemic, the Duterte administration must instead utilize their power and authority in handling the public health crisis.
Taking all of these into consideration, it is also now the duty of the people to do what the public servants cannot一 listen to medical professionals and to always stay vigilant in times of sudden surges in the number of cases. Moreover, it is also time for them to exercise their rights by means of registering to vote in the upcoming 2022 elections in pursuit of economic recovery and building a better nation for the future. Perhaps, the people must think of how their government officials would handle another pandemic before putting them into power since after all, a political landscape could be a matter of life and death.
Written by Bella Seares
Art by: Camille Shayne D. Gutierrez
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