Philippines Towards a Brighter Future

            

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              The Philippines is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Annual natural disasters, from typhoons to occasional earthquakes, flash floods, and volcanic eruptions occur with or without warning. Development and progress have always been challenging for the area. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened.

            The Philippines has not experienced an epidemic like COVID-19 in recent history. With a lack of infrastructure and the luxuries many other countries take for granted, the Philippines is not well equipped to manage an illness with such proportions. But we Filipinos as a people have always been known to be extremely resilient. We are so used to a natural calamity that it is something we have come to expect. It is something we dust ourselves off of, move on from, and laugh about.

            There is a concept in the Filipino culture called bayanihan which means having communal unity and cooperation. Bayanihan is a Filipino behavior most evident during difficult times, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. During something like a lockdown, a highly engaged team is essential to success. Virtual collaboration can be a challenge but having a tight-knit team of people who remain united makes facing challenges easier.

            After all the struggles we have been through, and all the lessons we have learned and continue to learn, I am confident that we can all overcome this pandemic – not only as better individuals but more importantly, as an even stronger and cohesive team.