By Francesca Ote 

On October 28, 2022, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 07, officially granting the usage of face masks to be voluntary in most outdoor and indoor settings. This move, amongst other things, marks a new era in the nation past the horrors of 2020. As Philippine society strips away its dependence on masks, its forefront line of defense, what does this say about the threat the virus poses? Is it safe to say that the pandemic is all in the past? 

Improvements Since 2020

Whilst entering this new year, the Philippines was greeted with a sign of hope in the form of significant drops in the nationwide positivity rate. As of January 2023, this number was recorded to only be around 5.5%, with the average amount of daily infections only reaching 447, thus adding to the 12, 376 active cases at that time. The subsequent month held much promise as well, with the positivity rate only accounting for 1.8%  in the midst of around 9,520 cases. To put things into perspective, this is a drastic shift from the staggering 73,908 active cases that loomed around April 2021. 

In light of these, there is simply no denying that progress has been made. Back in 2020 and 2021, these statistics testified to how fear of the disease truly lurked everywhere.  There was nothing one can look to for a semblance of normalcy, as every interaction was a matter of life or death. Now, it suffices to say that the country is no longer overwhelmed with cases as it once was. With fewer people contracting the disease, it is inevitable that others would inhabit a more nonchalant and cavalier disposition around it. In fact, the Department of Health is considering adding an Alert Level 0 to the roster of the already-existing COVID-19 alert level system. 

However, although all of these developments seem comforting, what happens when one does still contract COVID in this “new era”?

Vaccine Complacency 

During the early stages of the pandemic, symptoms were known to be acute, with most of them directly targeting one’s cardiorespiratory and respiratory systems. These would particularly take the form of loss of smell and taste, as well as shortness of breath and vascular injuries. The majority of them required immediate medical attention, thus greatly overwhelming hospitals all over the globe—the Philippines was no exception. Yet, with a growing number of the population contracting recurrent infections, the severity of these symptoms has gradually de-escalated, especially with the surfacing of more vaccines. From once life-threatening symptoms such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, these have evolved to merely just common colds and sore throats. 

On paper, it seems as though things are ushering into the “new normal” — a term so often used to describe the dream of a post-pandemic world.  These numbers, amongst other things, give people a reason to no longer live in debilitating fear, as the prospect of catching the virus has been reduced to that of mild symptoms, as opposed to the life-threatening nature it once had. Statistically, situations seem to call for a less guarded disposition. Yet, considering the volatility of things, should one really follow this? 

It must be noted that vaccines, the very thing that acts as society’s shield of defense, is not unanimously respected and acknowledged across the board. Vaccination hesitancy and misinformation still plague the nation, despite the reported 78 million who have already taken at least the first dose. Further, the lack of proper facilities and transportation further obstructs those living in more remote areas from receiving the vaccine. As a result, this leaves around 30 million individuals unvaccinated, thus hindering the country from being at par with its Southeast Asian neighbors. 

Likewise, it is clear that the fight is not yet over. In the grand scheme of things, it may seem as though the Philippines has fully recovered from the wounds reaped by 2020. However, as millions of individuals are still deprived of a dosage, it simply goes to show that vulnerability has not completely left the country. If left unacted upon, this could sow the seeds for yet another grave issue—one that could potentially cost thousands of lives. 

Progress, or the Lack Thereof

Knowing how far the world has come, now is still not the time to sit back comfortably, for there are still those who do not have the privilege of doing so. If the country wants to preserve the seemingly “blissful” state it is in right now, it must do its due diligence. 

Bloomberg’s C OVID-19 Resilience Ranking, for one, is a great wake-up call to just how much still needs to be done. Regardless of the list’s several editions and updated versions, the Philippines does not cease to be positioned at the bottom of the roster. With its standing as 48th amongst 53 other evaluated countries, the nation continues to receive low scores in all three categories: COVID-19 status, quality of life, and reopening progress. The same sentiment is particularly shared under the column of “universal healthcare coverage”, which measures the capacity of a country to provide basic and standard treatment to its citizens. Other indicated points of improvement would be the Philippines’ vaccination pace, as well as its COVID-19 mortality rate. 

On the other hand, when recommendations for productive action are brought up to the table, they fail to receive the proper approval to actually make a difference. For instance, the Public Health Emergency Bill and the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control Bill first came to light in hopes of finally tying up some leftover loose ends by setting into motion a vaccination program and further enhancing the procurement of resources needed for this. Yet, as of writing, neither of which have had any reported development or progress. 

Even if common perception dictates that everything “horrible” was left in 2020, one must not forget that the effects of that year still trickle down to the current realities of today. Disregarding these calls for action implies that all sense of impending danger has been alleviated, but the harsh reality is that it has not. COVID-19 is not simply a “monster” that society can defeat, as it mutates and evolves. Instead, it is a circumstance to be worked around. Similarly, it is only when everyone has unanimously understood this truth that the world can actually move forward. 

When living in these ever-changing times, one should never make it a habit to be presumptuous. Although apprehensions have de-escalated since the peak of the pandemic, this does not deny the fact that there still is a rampant virus lurking until this very day. 

On that note, the question stands, will COVID-19 be normalized? Yes, it is in fact, in the process of becoming so. However, for situations to continue to move in their forward trajectories, society as a whole must never let its guard down and never take this newfound sense of normalcy for granted.