Multimedia

A leader should inspire his people in the face of this growing pandemic to clear the cloud of pessimism hovering in the Philippines. President Duterte is playing that role. He remains confident the Philippines will overcome the current health crisis, and even offers himself as the first man in the Philippines to test the Russian vaccine.

Do you remember how you learned about the concept of Bayanihan in elementary school? I clearly recall—just like very adult Filipinos who attended basic education in the country—that image of people in a community helping their neighbor relocate by literally carrying their house and moving it to its new location.

The sharp decline of the Philippine economy in the second quarter is not totally unexpected. The harsh lockdown measures implemented in the April-to-June period across Metro Manila and the rest of the nation shuttered many business operations and put millions of Filipinos out of work.