THE Social Development Committee of Region VII’s Development Council has asked its members to comment on Neda’s paper “Addressing the Social and Economic Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic.” Here is what I submitted, abridged due to space limitations.
For the long term, the socio-economic imperative is to shift to a truly representative form of government to ensure an equitable sharing of the nation’s resources.
For the immediate aftermath of the pandemic:
*The country’s health system should focus more on basic wellness and disease prevention with provisions for proper nutrition and potable running water. Without these basics for all, the entire population would be in grave danger in the event of another pandemic.
*This calls for serious urban planning. Informal settlers must be provided with decent housing in appropriate relocation sites to do away with the unhealthy living conditions in their congested places of residence.
*Self-sufficiency in food, medical supplies, etc. is also to be promoted by concerned government agencies at all levels.
*During the pandemic, the most survivable were the rural areas. Farmers who plant their own staples and raise their own sources for beef, pork and chicken did not have to go anywhere for food. The Department of Agriculture (DA) should promote small farms, help family farmers increase their productivity so they can sell their surplus for cash to take care of their other non-food needs.
*Once the quality of rural life improves, migration to the cities could abate. Cities nevertheless should also be self-sufficient in food through urban gardening and small-scale livestock raising.
*All business, civic, and religious enterprises should be motivated to use modern technology in the work place. They should, for instance, allow employees to work online at home whenever this is possible.
*A standby fund for coping with a pandemic, separate from the calamity fund, should be budgeted yearly and made to accumulate. Part of it should be used to stock up on non-perishable supplies such as masks, personal protective shields, disinfectants, etc.
*The Health Department should tag positions that would compose a permanent task force on all levels. Persons occupying the tagged positions should meet regularly to monitor the country’s preparedness for a pandemic so we are never caught flatfooted again.
*Media must also form a task force on all levels that would draw up pre-agreed (apolitical?) guidelines for reporting during a pandemic. They must clarify not confuse as they do now with their politically colored reporting.
These are quick jottings and may be simplistic. Anyway, all I want is for us to join the conversation on the new normal after Covid-19.