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The Philippines is not out of the woods yet, but I strongly believe things are looking up. For one, the worst is over for the Philippine economy. It has bottomed out after contracting 9.5 percent for the whole of 2020, and I can sense it will surely bounce back starting this year.

The big contraction in the economy last year, although a foregone conclusion, is a reminder that there is a lot of work ahead for all of us in this time of pandemic. We should work our way through this health crisis starting with a strategic vaccination plan that is meant to address the root cause of the problem—the Covid-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of technologies not only in surviving the lockdown but in navigating the new normal as we start to revive our economy and restart social activities. Some of these technologies were already existing prior to the pandemic but their applicability and utility were heightened when we had to stay at home in order to control the spread of the virus. And I think many of these technologies are here to stay even when we eradicate the coronavirus.