By Jeri Mae Calderon
THERE’S no argument that the continued onslaught of the coronavirus disease aptly referred to as COVID-19, has adversely affected all of us –from the most-well-to-do families down to the least of our brothers.
But Filipinos that we all are, it is incumbent upon us to rise from any extreme conditions just like we did many times before.
Why do I say so? After reading web-based news articles, and scrolling down on the social media, it seemed that there are too much griping from our fellow Filipinos who are trying hard to jumpstart their lives by doing some business of sort using the modern-day technology aptly referred to nowadays as internet.
According to our fellow Pinoys, life’s been too hard and made even harder over by the prevalent preference for imported personal protective equipment from China and other countries.
National Policy
The government has been doubly working hard in balancing health and economy.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez issued an honest statement admitting difficulties we all are facing even as he called for public cooperation insofar as compliance to public health and safety protocols is concerned.
Citing the need to get the economy moving under calibrated community quarantine, Secretary Dominguez said we could no longer afford another lockdown.
Responding to his call, no less than Secretary Ramon Lopez of the Department of Trade and Industry underscored measures to support local products from local entrepreneurs.
Local Government Support
With a national government policy defined by no less than the top Cabinet men of the administration, it is incumbent upon the local government to take radical measures to ensure local economy gets a lift by all means.
In Angono town in Rizal, local businesses have started operating with the help of the LGU, which serves as its marketing arm – if only to guarantee that whatever is made, manufactured and sold by our local businessmen are promoted, referred to and endorsed via the most potent media form nowadays.
Angono local officials including Vice Mayor Gerry Calderon, went as far as going live doing video blogs endorsing local products while sustaining a reminder to observe public health safety measures like mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields, observance of physical distancing and an added push to do business at the comfort of their homes through online selling of products and services for which Interestingly, Vice-Mayor Calderon is neither a digital guy nor a techie as millennial generation would aptly call it. I should know. He’s my dad.