September 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted a heavy sense of global discord. State leaders are expected to come up with national policies that would prevent economic collapse and, at the same time, adopt the necessary health measures to combat the spread of the virus. While there have been efforts to contain and minimize the effects of COVID-19, the number of positive cases continues to rise at a rate that seems to be the “largest economic shock which the world has experienced in decades.”

On Aug. 15, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of Department of Education Secretary Leonor Briones to defer the opening of classes from Aug. 24 to Oct. 5 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. This postponement reflects the challenges faced by the government, educators, parents, and students in providing and accessing quality education during the current health emergency.

The year 2020 has brought to us a forced awareness of health matters, both on a public and private plane. Indeed, we have not seen in modern history such a paralysis brought about by an ancient enemy, which has pretty much held the whole world hostage. But world affairs must move on and the emphasis on strong leadership — both figuratively and literally — now has even more importance.

As soon as the effects of COVID-19 were felt, people have craved for the same thing: a duplicate of the life before the global pandemic.

To satisfy this (with minimal physical contact as much as possible), people have resorted to electronic means to carry on their regular day-to-day activities. Hence, there was a rise in the number of online businesses, as opportunists have seen this as a means to create revenues while under quarantine.