JUST as we were getting our bearings back, we were again plunged into Alert level 3 until the month's end. It was already delightful to see some local sports action happening courtesy of organized sports groups composed of sports coaches and former student-athletes. We have to bear the restrictions again until the responsible agencies lift them.

Getting our lives back looks pretty elusive in this pandemic. Every time we take a step forward, the virus makes us take two steps back: new variants, surging cases. And every time this happens, we find ourselves back at one. The government has its hands full in managing vaccinations and ensuring our economy is well and good, lest we all suffer from the pandemic and dwindling economy. Now more than ever, we need stronger collaborations with the government and the various sectors to ensure that we don't keep going back to square one.

Several suggestions have already been made in the last two years since the pandemic. It is just a reiteration of our call for an inclusive team to look into how we can bounce back from this pandemic. Perhaps the government can finally consider a mixed group of think-tanks across all sectors not dominated by government agencies. If possible, delegate it to the LGU's who better grasp their local pandemic situations. LGU's already have their pandemic response protocols in place. It is just taking it a notch higher. After all, it seems that we are already entering the recovery-mitigation phase of this disaster of a pandemic. In disaster management, the recovery-mitigation stage is essential in preparing us for the possibility of new strains and variants, and surges.

The business sector has been remarkably resilient in its plans; malls and establishments seem unfazed by the various alert levels implemented. Sports organizers can learn a thing or two from them. Perhaps, it is high time to consider opening active Sports Clubs, both contact and non-contact. We can closely monitor membership and implement health protocols among the club members with this arrangement. After all, an active lifestyle can help in curbing sickness. Sports clubs, apart from gyms, also allow for physical and mental health opportunities for their members because of the interaction it provides.

More on this next time....

Until then, "Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."