THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

No matter how hard life becomes, life will always get better.

That appears to be one of the best lessons taught to us by our experiences in 2021.

This past year, we emerged from the dark period marked by rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country and the rest of the world. We struggled with the implementation of, and compliance with strict lockdown measures. We felt the serious and adverse effects of the restrictions in our movements and mobility on our social and economic activities. Life became harder than it used to be prior to the pandemic.

The era of strict lockdowns saved many lives and prevented what could have been a catastrophic spread of the deadly virus in our country.

While the lockdowns may have saved the physical health of many, they may have taken a heavy toll on our financial and emotional health. So, in 2020 and 2021, the phrase “mental health issues” gained widespread use.

So, 2021 taught us to take care of our mental and emotional health. We learned that “health” is more than just a physical concern. Our thinking and feeling processes, we discovered, are also vulnerable and can become “sick.” In 2021, we learned to take care of each other. We rediscovered the value of “reaching out” to others who are going through health challenges in their various forms. We tapped into our ability to inspire and encourage. We called on our friends and relatives to “hang on” as we reminded them that they are not alone in their plight – that the adversities of 2020 and 2021 were something we were going through together.

So, 2021 taught us that Survival happens when we bring out the strength of our community spirit.

This past year, we also learned the value and importance of cooperation and collaboration.

There is, perhaps, no better example of these two principles than the roll-out of the vaccination program.

In March 1, 2021, the national government officially started the said program in a bid to contain and eventually wipe out the deadly virus.

The program called for one of the strongest cooperation and collaboration between the national government and local government units. The national government secured and procured the needed vaccines. Local governments created the system that made for the efficient administration of these vaccines to our countrymen.

The program also called for cooperation from the public.

In addition to the observance of safety protocols we learned in 2020, the vaccination program required everyone to register and to follow the procedures in the various vaccination centers. It called on everyone to follow the order in which the vaccines are to be given.

Except for one or two isolated incidents of disorder in some vaccination centers – which were discovered to have been fueled by disinformation – the roll-out has so far been a model of efficiency.

We also laud the collaboration extended to local governments by several malls which served as vaccination centers.

So, in 2021, we learned that cooperation and collaboration are our best tools against the COVID-19 virus.

The cooperation and collaboration – plus the many sacrifices we endured to prevent the massive spread of the virus – have paid off.

Within a 10-month period, we have given first doses to nearly 52 percent of our countrymen.

About 40 percent have received the full doses. Close to one million have been given booster shots. Before the vaccines arrived early this year, we did not think we would be able to inoculate that percentage of our population.

Vaccine supply appears to be adequate, thanks to the collaboration of other countries and international health agencies generated by the national government. Again, this was unexpected. At first, we thought it would be a struggle to source the vaccine. We may have underestimated the power of international cooperation.

Let us not forget another big lesson of 2021: we must not let our guards down. We must continue to stick to strict health and safety protocols, even if we have gotten the booster shot.

Recklessness, we learned in 2021, can cause another spike in the number of infections.

The year 2022 carries a lot of promise. We look forward to a better year – provided we remember the lessons of 2021.

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