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The Philippines, in a general sense, is in a quandary about how fast it should reopen the economy now that more and more Filipinos have been vaccinated. Many sectors are divided on the issue. But one thing is clear: the economy cannot be hostage forever to the virus.

The next president of the Philippines will have a much easier time than what President Rodrigo Duterte is going through right now. By the time the 17th president of the Republic assumes office sometime in July 2022, the pandemic would most likely be contained and most of the country’s population would have received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine plus booster shots, if approved by regulators.

I would often ask Mark how he would assess his transition from Congress to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). He was already elected to a third term in Congress when President Duterte appointed him to the Cabinet post in 2016. Our family often found the time to get together, usually on a Sunday, to catch up and chat, no matter how busy things got.