It is two-and-a-half years since the country was first put under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a time of complete uncertainty and mass anxiety. The toll has been enormous, with Worldometer attributing a total of 6.5 million deaths globally to the virus, as of September 16, 2022. The number of infections has reached 616 million.

Since the start of the pandemic, the virus has mutated a number of times but, thankfully, it has increasingly transformed into milder strains, albeit more transmissible ones. Slowly, the world has wrapped its hands around the virus. An increased understanding of its nature, origins and behavior has led to more informed countermeasures and health protocols. Step by step, people have adapted to COVID and reverted to a new normal that is premised on living with the virus than in fear of it.

Quarantines and lockdowns were lifted, mobility was restored, borders started to reopen, economic activity was revived, people returned to office and kids are back to school.

The Philippines counts among a handful of countries that imposed protracted lockdowns on its people. It seemed that each time a surge happened, the default action was to impose community quarantine. This caused so much disruption in lives and living. Of course, extenuating circumstances like  the inability to get our hands on vaccines, a lack of critical care facilities and porous border caused government to readily decide matters on the side of extreme caution.

Since then, however, vaccines have been procured, donated and received in major numbers. Local governments were able to strengthen their health care capabilities. The population learned to make minimum health protocols – mask, wash, distance – a part of their daily life. Businesses installed needed countermeasures to protect against the spread of COVID among its employees and customers. A national election campaign and voting was held with little, if any, untoward surge in cases. Most recently, face-to-face schooling was restored and the mandated use of masks outdoors was lifted.

Despite all these, though, I was amazed at the seeming polarized views that surround the recent lifting of restrictions on the wearing of masks outdoors. The Department of Health (DOH) seemed unbending in their position that mask-wearing must continue to be mandated. It argues that COVID-19 persists, future mutations of the virus are unpredictable and that we need to protect the most vulnerable of our society. I expect as much from the DOH, though. After all, it is their mandate to oversee the well-being of the Filipino people.

What I do not understand, however, is under what scenario the DOH sees it appropriate to relax restrictions. They claim that we need to reinforce our “wall of immunity” which they have defined as a function of the level of vaccination and boosting. Accordingly, they launched drive after drive to increase the number of vaccinated and boosted Filipinos. Unfortunately, it seems that the appetite for vaccines has dipped significantly. As of August 30, 2022, the DOH reports 72.5 million Filipinos have received their primary vaccines. Only 18 million have received their first booster while a meager 2.2 million have been given their second booster.

I agree that vaccines are a primary line of defense against the virus. However, if the rate of vaccinations does not reach the desired goals of DOH, does that mean that we are forever consigned to mask-to-mask encounters rather than face-to-face? Also, given the DOH’s desire to increase the number of vaccined Filipinos, I wonder why millions of vaccines were allowed to expire instead of being offered as second booster to Filipinos below 60 years of age and without comorbidities – which could be in the millions.  Priority should be given to the most vulnerable, I admit, but the greater majority should not be deprived of their second booster shots due to the unyielding posture of the priority sectors. They have had months to get vaccined and yet the number of first or second-boosted Filipinos has hardly nudged. We should allow willing Filipinos to get boosted rather than waste the vaccines.

In my observation, the wearing of masks while still widely practiced is loosely enforced. It seems, in fact, already very much like a scenario of optional mask-wearing. People have gotten used to keeping masks on and, I suppose, have subliminally accepted the value of it. I would say, that the arguments for or against have been more within the ranks of government than on the streets of cities and baranggays.

Ultimately, unmasking the future is a personal responsibility. I feel that living with the virus depends on our own circumstances, realities and choices. If we are going to claim back our lives, we need to accept our individual duty to protect ourselves and others; it should not be by edict.

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