Did it help?

Remembering who we Filipinos really are.

We Filipinos have experienced strong winds, typhoons, earthquakes, eruptions, conflicts and wars, even. Yet, like the resilient bamboo, we Filipinos have bounced back.

At present, added to our previous and continuing crises in our midst, we are battling the deadly coronavirus.

Pandemic or no pandemic, our primary goal remains the same: to protect, save, and, improve lives.

Even before COVID-19, our country and the rest of the world were preoccupied with the same continuing challenges- how to protect lives from threats and violence, how to save, especially the vulnerable whose number is legion, from hunger, unemployment, health problems, lack of access to education, how to save the planet from global warming and how to protect other natural resources, land, water and other resources from abuse and depletion.

We, Filipinos, are therefore not strangers to crises, to continuing crises.

Still, many may feel depressed, beaten and desperate because of fear that the virus and other crises may afflict themselves and/or their loved ones.

Confidence is what we all need at this time, Vice President Leni Robredo reminded all Filipinos last Monday, August 24.

Addressing us, the Filipino people, in our Filipino language, VP Leni asked us to remember that: “we already have a very long history of being victorious over challenges like this. There may be times when we forget who we are. Now, another challenge is reminding us who we are. And I’m stressing what Filipino really are: Open and lionhearted. Resourceful. Always concerned about others, especially during hard times.”

“Confidence threads the pandemic and its effects on our economy together-

this is why, especially now that we are grappling with a pandemic, the last thing that we need is even more instances that erode confidence.”

”Clearly, the people are willing to man the oars; what we need is someone to point us toward the proper direction. Someone to steer the ship of state.

“We can do this. We should be able to do this.”

What can be done together?

VP Leni shared 11 recommendations, stressing the urgency not only to address the crisis brought by the pandemic but to address other continuing crises as well.

1. “Masinsin, mabilis, malinaw ang tugon sa pandemya- through support for frontliners and hospitals, aggressive testing and treatment, quicker test result turnover, more efficient data gathering, and, stringent contact tracing, tapping technology as well.

2. Harmonize cash-for-work and pandemic needs (provide jobs as contact tracers, for example).

 3. Creating and ensuring safety nets for people affected by unemployment – support for newly unemployed (e.g. through unemployment insurance)

 4. Empower businesses and industries to reorient/shift their production to items needed during the pandemic (for example, manufacturers can produce PPEs).

5. Digitize economy. Help MSMES build online presence, speed up digital modes of payment, online transactions to minimize risks of coronavirus transmissions.

6. Support for MSMEs and small businesses through wage subsidies, credit mitigation services so operations can resume, lay-offs prevented.

7. Reintegration and livelihood for stranded, returning OFWs who lost jobs due to pandemic

8. Preventing the spread of hunger by extending, for 4 more months, subsidies (ayudang pinansyal) to poorest families.

9. Empower agriculture (ensure supply chain, build infra) to ensure food security.

10. Use opportunity to address long-term goals, for example, income inequality, by raising the salaries of workers in essential sectors

11. Improving the country’s digital infrastructure (e.g. shared cell sites) especially as classes shift to distance learning.

WITH CONFIDENCE, VP Leni added, “if nobody will lead, we ourselves will take steps. We will help each other. We will support each other. We ourselves will face, we ourselves will lead, we ourselves will assume any duty to overcome any challenge in the name of our fellowmen.”