How to prepare on the road to recovery, post-pandemic?

Sep 25, 2020

There’s one saying that goes “it might be stormy now, but it will not rain forever” signifying that all hard times will eventually end. As this has always been proven true, we remain steadfast and hopeful that one day, we will bid goodbye to this COVID-19 pandemic.

Now that we get glimpses of life at the end of the tunnel, it is important that we start gearing up and getting ready. At this point, productivity must be at its best to build momentum on our way to recovery.

Where we are now as a country

After the shock factor died down, the national government began its attempts to relieve the country from all the damages incurred by the virus to public health and economy. But, due to initial lockdowns, the country took a strong hit and we entered economic recession at the second quarter of the year. As attested by reports from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Institute of International Finance, the damage on the production sector and the tourism industry has a significant impact on the lower performance of the Philippines, on its entirety.

Where we will be in 2021

Despite the difficult year, the future shines bright for the Philippines in the year to come.

As early as now, the Philippine Stock Exchange is showing significant promise and that is a good sign that investors are still supportive of our economy and they are just on the lookout for when the economy is performing better than today.

Plus, the International Monetary Fund is forecasting a jump in growth for 2021 with a good rebound for our Gross Domestic Product. As the normalization of business operations is being done gradually, the country remains hopeful to buildup on the road to recovery.

What we can do as a country now

Though in this past year, the primary focus of the world is on our frontliners, public health emergency solutions, and instant economic band aids, it is now time to think of what lies ahead. For the future, we are now given ample time to start over better – apply what we’ve learned in this global crisis to strive to become a new and improved version of how we do things.

Here’s where the government can start:

  1. Create interventions in polluting sectors to promote cleaner air. The transport and industrial sectors must be able to start with sustainable projects aligned with better technologies with less carbon footprint for lighting, heating, cooling, and fuels.
  2. Develop and apply biodiversity action plans that seek to protect the value of nature and the environment – as without it, we face another grave threat: development of new strains of deadly illnesses, or worse, the loss of our planet.
  3. Improve agrobiodiversity with reducing the application of chemicals and pesticides and develop actionable programs that increase agricultural products to sustain the country’s food needs, provide sources of livelihood to the agricultural sector.

4. Focus on sanitation policies to ensure overall public safety to minimize spread of contaminants and help support the ecological aspect as well. This includes public education on safe drinking water and implementation of water quality standards.

5. Look into the current status of occupational health and safety standards and improve guidelines on better workplaces in terms of the spread of diseases in the workplace.

6. Organizing standards for workplace resilience in times of national emergencies, public health outbreaks, and the spread of diseases to sustain the economy whatever happens.

7. Create better urban planning policies that promote healthy and active living while integrating health programs and projects for the communities.

8. Improve walking and cycling infrastructures in all major cities to promote a healthier lifestyle that also decreases detrimental environment actions.

9. Investing in green open spaces for public consumption that allows people of all ages the access to healthy recreation.

10. Organize risk management training for the business sector, especially for SMEs to help them sustain their business and maintain healthy financials even at dire situations like a pandemic.

What you can do for you and your family

As you go back to the workforce, make sure that your physical space is safe and secure. If you are a business owner or a manager, it is now an essential to deep clean your office and have this become part of your normal schedule moving forward.

It is also essential to develop a culture where hygiene is a priority. It might be something that must be expected for all, but it might not be universally practiced in your home or office – but simple etiquette for hand washing, coughing, sneezing, and other important matters must be observed at all times.

Your family should also talk about emergency preparedness just in case a similar concern happens again. You should discuss financial solutions and funds so that you’ll have something to aid you should an economic freeze happen.

Explore personal development options. As we await a sustainable recovery, look into improving your career and growth by investing on education. Even while you are at home there are many online certificate courses like Coursera or Udemy with wide selections of skills improvement programs that can help you become a better-rounded individual.

Make sure that you have an emergency fund. Life is very unpredictable – you never know when a medical crisis, economic problems, or natural disasters might hit. Therefore, it is important to have cash stored for easy access that’s at least worth six months of your total needs.

Know where you can get extra money in times of dire need. There are many financial institutions that can help you get your groove back when you experience monetary problems. Especially now in the modern world, there are online P2P funding platforms that can provide you with a loan in just a quick and easy process.

Re-evaluate how you see income. The pandemic has taught us that nothing is permanent – no matter how secure you originally saw your job. Any one and any industry can be gone in just a snap – so you should consider having other income sources like establishing a business or trying out an investment.

Remain hopeful for what lies ahead

In times like this when we are down, there’s nowhere to go but up. Make use of this time for self-improvement and preparing for all the good that is yet to come. Here at Blend.ph, we see a bright future for the Filipino and we are committed to be your partner to help you hit that momentum and reach success.