BEYOND the lack of sense certain quarters impute on the failure of government to address the COVID-19 crisis positively, the pandemic has provided a devastating wallop to the way we go with our lifestyles. With over 20,000 Filipinos now affected by the health menace, economic confusion has started to sink in.
This chaotic situation is not due to neglect or failure; rather, it has something to do with the benchmark used by authorities in addressing certain issues. As the Health department has consistently made public, the remedies they have embraced during the pandemic are copycats of practices instituted in developed countries, suggesting the government has applied remedies that come from other countries but not necessarily effective in curing the sickness.
The economic panic affects more the underprivileged sector. Instead of prioritizing the pressing needs, the crisis managers have adopted policies that confuse. Particularly in transport, the
standards adopted do not carry alternatives that make travel to work easy and convenient.
For a badly ruined economy to revive, the laborers, who are the economic backbone, are first satisfied, their jobs
guaranteed, and their return to the workplace assured. With 80 percent of the country’s laborers carless, fielding enough public conveyances has more positive impact than just allowing big transports to operate. But the crisis managers are looking the other way.
The contention that the demise of an enterprises translates to the collapse of
an economy is an illusion. In the first place, money, as an indispensable aspect of economy, will remain for as long as there are banks and government lending institutions. Businesses do not produce money; they earn it. And the first step toward profit in ensuring a productive manpower.
When the national manpower pool bogs down due to discontent, the consequence would be devastating. The main reason why economies survive is due to a resourceful manpower. Take that equation out and you will see billionaires squirreling their monies to other destinations.
We must not forget countries around the world are dependent on Filipino manpower. Businesses, as a matter of fact, pay higher salaries because the laborers work well. And if workers are contented, production shoots up. It is a quid pro quo thing.
From the start, the crisis managers should have put in place first the remedies that allowed laborers to play
their role in jump-starting the economy. Depriving them of public transport, for instance, is contrary to expectations. While health protocols are essential in protecting public wellbeing, the best mantra is still to field public vehicles
that bring laborers to their workplace. Without manpower, surely there is no economic revival.
