COOPERATION between leaders in the private and public sectors have shown what working together can do in making the community we live in a better place.
This partnership between the public and private sectors is nothing new, as it has been around even before the pandemic happened. We can observe it more often now with social media.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, we have seen how some of the country's biggest private firms have accelerated the establishment of Covid-19 testing laboratories, helped improved the capability of
different hospitals, and expanded the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities across the country.
Last year, the country's major brands and the government launched the Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, a private-sector campaign in support of Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat) of the national government.
The campaign seeks to bring back consumer confidence by reminding the public that life can still go on as long as minimum health protocols are observed. It also reminds business establishments to strictly follow the health protocols.
"If people follow the minimum health standards, if companies are able to enforce them in the workplace, if commercial establishments are able to enforce them in the malls, in the restaurants, then we can prevent the number of cases from going up," Secretary Vince Dizon, NTF deputy chief implementer and chief testing czar, said during the launch of the campaign last year.
Here in Davao City, we saw the launch of the Business for Environmentally Sustainable Transformation (Best) Bus project. This is a project of the Davao City Government, in partnership with the AboitizPower subsidiary Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), GET Philippines, and QEV Technologies in Spain.
Seven Best Buses, all 100-percent electric and fully airconditioned, are plying the streets of Davao on selected routes. The ride is free of charge, but passengers must register for the Best Pass QR Code through the Get Pass app, which they can download for free download on Google Play and Apple App stores. Using the QR code on the app, passengers will scan it upon entry.
While it may not be new, public and private partnerships have shown that cooperation can help improve the community we are in.
In the context of the pandemic, it is through cooperation among the different sectors of the community that will allow us to truly manage and control the spread of the Covid-19. The public sector has put in place guidelines and facilities to trace, test, and treat while the private establishments are also doing their part to help enforce minimum health protocols. For the residents, it is our duty to follow these minimum health protocols.
The pandemic has not yet ended. In this marathon, we have to work together and cooperate to survive the pandemic and adapt to a post-pandemic society.