“Is the world overreacting to the Omicron variant?”
Randy David bannered the question above in his PDI
column “Public Lives.” Here’s the latest New York Times article “Omicron: What
We Know About the New Corona Variant” that could shed some light in matching up
to the question.
“Intense research into the new coronavirus…just begun.
World leaders have urged people not to panic -- and to get vaccinated if they
can.
“First identified in Botswana and Africa, this new
iteration of the coronavirus has prompted concern among scientists and public
health officials because of an unusually high number of mutations that have the
potential to make the virus more transmissible and less susceptible to existing
vaccines.
“The World Health Organization has called Omicron a
“variant of concern” and warned that the global risks posed by it were “very
high,” despite what officials described as a multitude of uncertainties. Cases
have been identified in dozens of countries on every continent except Antarctica.”
Quick on the draw, as always, showbiz Isko’s reaction
grabbed the headline: “Isko Moreno urges national government to prepare for
Omicron.” He said:
“We should be buying Remdesivir, Tocilizumab,
Baricitinib, and Molnupiravir. Let’s stock on oxygen, build facilities. If
used, then thank you. If not, we’d still be thanking. At least we are
prepared.” (Translated from Filipino)
Not to be outscored, Pacman’s reaction grabbed the headline
too: “Pacquiao wants free medical services for seniors, modernized barangay
health system.” After pledging a bag of freebies that will become this Christmas’
most sought-after Santa’s wish list, he said:
“We have to shower our senior citizens with all the
love that we can give. They have done their part as citizens of the republic
and as parents to their children so it’s time that we honor them by making life
more comfortable for them.”
Leni’s response: Cool, calm and collected plus a blueprint – Kalayaan sa COVID Plan -- turning Isko and Manny’s verbalized reactions into a piece of “scratch paper.”
What makes a great difference? Leni is a proactive
leader; Isko and Manny only react. Leni embodies proactivity: a product of
values and decisions; Isko and Manny, reactivity: depends on feelings, moods,
and impulses.
Leni is a visionary leader. “A great leader’s courage
to fulfill his [or her] vision comes from passion, not position,” said John C.
Maxwell, author. Very true, for we know full well, Leni as a VP, is a powerless
spare tire. Where does Leni’s vision come from? Maxwell provided four sources:
1. The Inner Voice
Vision starts within. Only when a vision comes from
your desire within – from the very depths of who you are and what you believe –
will you be able to accomplish such vision.
“My description for it is, empathy is like your
spiritual muscle. The more you use that muscle, the more you feel the suffering
experienced by your countrymen.” (VP Robredo)
2. The Unhappy Voice
A great idea whose time has come sparks off from something
that fails to work anymore. Discontent with the status quo is a great catalyst
for a vision.
“The overriding imperative right now is to reverse the
trajectory of governance in the country. We want to put an end to this brand of
governance that is anti-democratic, anti-rights, corrupt, and self-serving,
which is the root cause of the suffering and deaths of so many Filipinos.” (VP
Robredo)
3. The Successful Voice
No such thing as a lone ranger leader. To fulfill a
vision you need a good team – united in mission and diverse in talents and skills
--- unity in diversity in action.
“The past days have been filled with deep discernment,
and I have been reaching out to many people to build the broadest possible
alliance to achieve our goals.” (VP Robredo)
4. The Higher Voice
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
(Proverbs 29:18)
“While supporting VP Leni, we should also pray for
her, because if we put ourselves in her position, it would be difficult for us
too. There’s a lot at stake here and the fight will be long.” (Rev. Fr.
Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ)
Interestingly, the Obama administration through its
National Security Council developed a guidebook titled “Playbook for Early
Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease.” The goal was to coordinate
a complex US government response to threats anywhere in the world. It outlined
questions to ask, who should be asked to get answers, and what key decisions
should be made. It had a list of types of infectious disease threats that could
emerge. “Novel coronavirus” were among the pathogens flagged as having the potential
to cause heightened concern. Tabletop exercises included planning for a
pandemic-like situation during the Obama-Trump administrations’ transition and
sharing of lessons learned during the Ebola and Zika outbreaks.
During the transition, one Obama official said, “Our
job was to set up the Trump political staff for success, and we took that
mandate very seriously.” After having written memos to inform the Trump team,
he wound up, “But nobody called me…” Ultimately, Trump dismissed the Obama guidebook.
The rest is history.
Like those sorry words, we know full well VP Robredo
could have expressed these heart-rending words: “But I was brushed aside.” Sad
to say, her Kalayaan sa COVID Plan could have been PRRD’s flagship response to the
pandemic. It could have taken steps forward and subsequently picked up PH from the
bottom of the list among 121 countries.in Nikkei Asia’s latest COVID-19 Recovery
Index. It could have been a good legacy too for PRRD to the nation.
There are things we cannot recover in life:
1. Word after it is said.
2. Trust after it is lost
3. Opportunity after it is missed.
4. Time after it is wasted
5. Life after it is gone.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” (Thomas A. Edison)
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