Governance and
development will be definitely reshaped by the new normal in social interaction
which is basically a lifestyle of physical distancing or isolation. The Fourth
Industrialization which is mark by technology-driven interactions will disrupt
the traditional ways of face-to-face interactions.
The concepts of
transparency, accountability and participation may now be measured thru the use
of data analytics.
Definitely, there
will be higher demand for efficiency, transparency and accountability at all
levels as this pandemic made all realize the need for swifter and credible
delivery of services while at the same time facing challenges to the economy.
Based on observation,
the following are some policy reforms which may happen in the “new normal” :
International and Regional Level
• Strengthening of international
cooperation among member-countries of the United Nation, World Health
Organization, ASEAN, to name a few in terms of information and resources
sharing and setting of standards to prevent or combat pandemics.
• Imposition of
stiffer sanctions for countries who have irresponsibly handled outbreaks
resulting to pandemic.
National and Local Level
• Capacity-building
for frontline workers, inter-agency task forces and skeleton workforce from the
national to the local level.
• Upgrading of
qualifications for those who would like to enter public service.
• Institutionalization
of alternative work arrangements policy which include four-day work week and
telecommuting or work from home, among others.
• Policy reform to
ensure that supply-chain is seamlessly operating amidst lockdowns/quarantines.
(The current difficulty in the delivery of goods has led to price increases
(based on my observation) and scarcity of food supply in some areas.)
• Strict
enforcement of law against hoarding and overpricing.
• Setting-up of an
effective communication system in every government level and offices for the
public to have an access to legitimate information only. This is also a
countermeasure against the proliferation of fake news especially in the social
media.
• Re-examine the
Local Government Code to harness local autonomy and maximize local resources.
• Strengthening of
the Inter-Local Health Zones (ILHZ) and other areas of interlocal cooperation.
In my observation, some LGUs have inactive ILHZs. This is important in
improving referral system and in extending medical assistance especially to
indigent patients.
• Strengthening of
partnership with civil society organizations and the business sector.
• Mainstreaming of
pandemic scenario in development plans
Politics
• Public health
will definitely be a hot election issue come 2022. Hopefully, voters will take
note of their current experiences and will vote for good leaders who have the
capacity to address such huge health crisis.
How will development be measured in
the future?
Development will
not only be measured on economic terms. Higher level of emphasis will be given
to human development index which measures development in terms of a long and
healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living (http://hdr.undp.org.
All of which will depend on how countries manage and deliver basic services
like health and education.
Country’
resiliency against pandemics in addition to natural disasters will now become
of the standard of governance. Covid pandemic will definitely redefine the standards
of service delivery. For example, our hospitals, classrooms, and public mode of
transport will be re-planned to make it possible for everybody to observe physical
distancing.
How will the new normal impact on
development?
With isolation
becoming a personal and a community lifestyle, economic and social development
will suffer greatly. According to economists, recession is inevitable which
will lead to higher prices and high unemployment rate.
Production areas
like manufacturing factories which used to have a huge number of workers will be
trimmed to ensure distancing. Advanced countries may opt to employ more robots
as substitute to humans.
Lesser social interaction
means the spirit of community cooperation will suffer. Social media will be a
big help in terms of communication but it cannot replace face to face gathering
in forging sense of community and belongingness. Social life is part of
development especially if we are using Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness as a
measure of development.
The new normal
will definitely redefine the current model of development which is more
concentrated on the development of urban areas or cities. There is now an effort
for Balik Probinsya Program which intends to encourage people in the cities to
go back to the provinces. Their families will be provided with livelihood
opportunities to lure them to stay.
As I see it, the
government both national and local will provide higher investment in health,
water and sanitation as a way of strengthening resilience of the communities
against Covid 19.
Using modern
communication platform and other related technologies will now be more common.
The use of the Internet in the delivery of services like health, education and
other government transactions and in the delivery of good and services will now
be the new normal. Open and distance education like UPOU will be offered by
universities.
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