I’m spending the new normal on Easter Sunday morning, reflecting on what’s happening to all of us while listening to Julia Fordham’s “Invisible War.” The lyrics resonate: “It seems we are waging an invisible war…every day I seem to lose you more.” True enough, what we have here is indeed an invisible war with a common enemy we can’t even see and feel, and which takes us down days after we get hit, much like a stray bullet.
But it is in accepting that indeed we are blindsided in this new war that we can have the chance of surviving and getting out of this. I remember a movie where the Chinese martial arts hero has been temporarily blinded and has to adapt to the situation and to trust his instincts—not to win, but to survive. This is where we are in right now, and this should be the prevailing attitude that we should have—as individuals, as communities, and more important as a nation. In doing so, we will have a better chance to see this through.
How does one go about fighting an invisible enemy?
First—there are no rule books to begin with. All the things that we were told, the accepted protocols, are now being challenged. Therefore, we need to be ready to listen and assess our situation. In our case, take stock of our limited resources and build on what we have.
Second—we need to understand that even if we hear—and the rhetoric is uplifting—that we belong to a community of nations, no government or international organization will think of our situation before their own. And we should not gripe about this. Definitely, everyone’s situation is getting tighter, resources are getting scarcer, and other countries need to protect their own people before others. In real terms, look at what we’ve been fed by the international “authorities”—the late declaration of global pandemic, the non-necessity of wearing masks, the delayed pronouncements on effective medicines, on the surface might be just what they are.
And therefore, thirdly, we need to be more discerning. We need to think twice about such pronouncements and see first and foremost whether it benefits us or not. We, Filipinos, have as much right to protect ourselves as the rest of the world. Let us discern deeper every time we are told or being given findings by international organizations. How can it be possibly acceptable that the way to fight this virus is just social distancing and washing of hands? That we do not need to protect ourselves with masks?
Fourth—we need to assess ourselves as Filipinos and accept that for us to get out of here, our resiliency as a people living on our own resources must kick in. It doesn’t matter if we are only doing it now, and let’s not gripe about the past years wasted. It’s important that we begin doing it. Case in point, food security must be prioritized now —on a national scale. We need to wean ourselves away from imports, especially with prime commodities. Rice for one, livestock, aqua and plant produce as well. Resources that we need to import, we need to tighten usage, and find local alternative sources even if it is more tedious and more expensive in the beginning.
Lastly—we need to trust ourselves, trust each other as Filipinos, more than others and more than ever. This is for the basic reason that it is only us who will take care of our mother ship, the Philippines. We need to put that basic belief that, yes, we can, as Filipinos—because we have no other choice. In this war against an invisible enemy, the only way to win is to visibly see ourselves, Filipinos, as one.
Thomas Tim Orbos was former DOTr undersecretary for roads and general manager of the MMDA. He is currently undertaking further studies at the McCourt School of Public Policy of Georgetown University. He can be reached via e-mail at thomas_orbos@sloan.mit.edu