The new respiratory-related illness that originated in China in December 2019 became a major pandemic early this year that adversely hit the whole world, and currently challenges government capabilities, overwhelms health systems, disrupts economies and completely affects social life.
Governments became busy, especially the health and medical sectors, to respond quickly to the crisis. All else followed—the food, transportation, labor, tourism, education and religious sectors—had to be subjected to different levels of quarantine in order to flatten the Covid-19 curve, the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) said in a news release.
Can we now adjust to the new normal? Can we even go back to our day-to-day lives after the pandemic? Are the information we get accurate? Do we have the finances and sociological support to hold us up until the crisis is over?
These are just a few questions that have led to anxiety and distress amid the Covid-19 crisis. There are questions for every sector, every economic status and every Filipino, the NRCP said.
The Covid-19 pandemic is, to some extent, a reality check and is testing everyone, especially the government, in dealing with it. But more than this are everyone’s emotions, feelings and behavior toward other people, and the government, NRCP said.
Further, are the issues on the effectivity and public acceptance of government policies and pronouncements, including how gender-sensitive the Philippines is to the pandemic.
The Department of Science and Technology’s NRCP is conducting five research projects that look into the issues, focusing on the behaviors, feelings, cognition, gender issues and even an analysis of the work-from-home (WFH) mode during the pandemic
Intended to be completed this month, the outputs of the projects are directed to the government, particularly the policy-makers and agencies that are in the forefront of the coronavirus crisis, in order to serve as research-based guidance in future policies and pronouncements, the NRCP said.
Emotions, feelings and behaviors during the Covid-19 pandemic
This project is investigating people’s feelings and response to Covid-19 and through the various government actions, including how they get their information (i.e., sources), how they feel, respond, process and react to these various information and their sources.
The team from University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, led by Director Dr. Maria Cecilia Gastardo-Conaco, DOST-NRCP member of Division VIII-Social Sciences, see the experience of Filipinos in this period of uncertainty and disruption.
Besides the description of how people feel and respond to the pandemic, the UP team is expected to come up with policy recommendations on how government and media could communicate information and directives on more productive outcomes, such as more toned down negative affect and a greater willingness to engage productive action.
The study will also identify the implications for health promotion.
Content analysis of government policies and issuances
This project intends to assess the level of implementation, monitoring, evaluation and impact of political instrumentalities from national down to local governmental entities. This include the subsequent roles of other stakeholders of Covid-19, such as the private, philanthropic and nongovernmental organizations.
Project Leader Laufred I. Hernandez, also a DOST-NRCP member of Division VIII-Social Sciences and from UP Manila, will lead the identification and establishment of the gaps in policy directions and implementations, such as security, resources vis-à-vis preparedness, community awareness, strategies for prevention, and control and social containment.
With the results of the project, DOST-NRCP will recommend strategies to strengthen the policy issuances on Covid-19. It is observed that more comprehensive and detailed issuances will create unity and obedience from the people.
Gender-specific insights
Gender is one of the neglected social dimensions during the pandemic.
The health, social and economic risks brought about by the disease have associated gender-specific aspects, such as the role of gender in the healthcare system, sex-dependent health vulnerabilities of individuals, and gender-related occupational hazards.
Dr. Jomar F. Rabajante, DOST-NRCP member of Division II-Mathematical Sciences and Project Leader from UP Los Baños, will provide gender-specific insights.
Rabajante and his team will use the available epidemiological and socio-economic data to produce an interactive dashboard showing gender-specific insights related to Covid-19 that can be used for academic or policy-making.
An online interactive dashboard showing gender-specific insights related to Covid-19 that can be used for academic or policy-making purposes will be developed in the project.
Scoping on mental health and psychosocial support services
Led by Dr. Elizabeth P. de Castro, a retired professor of UP Department of Psychology, the study will come up with policy recommendations that may aid the government, through the Department of Health and other leading health care providers, in addressing the gaps in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services practices and/or services, as well as in improving the delivery of programs and services for MHPSS.
Defining a gender-responsive WFH scheme in post-ECQ scenario
The in-house study, led by NRCP Executive Director Dr. Marieta Baňez Sumagaysay, will come up with policy recommendations for enhancing men’s and women’s work productivity during WFH.
The team will also draft a statement for the adoption of WFH as a necessary human-resource employment choice in government as a new normal work scheme, and a paper presentation on gender-sensitive WFH scheme in post-ECQ.
What’s next?
Upon completion of the projects this month, the DOST-NRCP, as a government agency and a policy advisory body, will push the use of the outputs of the researches by different government instrumentalities through policy recommendations.
DOST is at the forefront in helping the government for a better, wise and sound decision-making based on research.
Research and development make change happen, in all areas including governance, society and the people as a whole, NRCP said.
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