Dissatisfaction with government’s COVID-19 response linked to impaired
psychological wellbeing
The article that I have read have stated that study finds the government’s lack of response to
Covid-19 outbreak raises appalling economic incompetence and causes intensive mass hysteria.
The Philippines, among many other countries, has been affected with the unprecedented
detrimental phenomenon brought by the pandemic.
The first positive Covid-19 case that was recorded in history was on January 30th, 2020 (source:
cnnphilippines.com). Apparently, the Department of Health (DOH), headed by Secretary
Francisco Doque, failed to address a strategic plan in order to prevent the transmission of the
virus. Neither tight travel restrictions and mass testings, nor quarantine protocols began too
untimely. Consequently, based on current World Health Organization’s (WHO) statistical data,
the total cases in the country have already reached to 453, 413 with 8,446 fatality reports.
(source: https://www.who.int/) .
The citizens have indeed expressed their dismays and criticisms throughout social media
platforms about the current regime’s action against the spread of the virus. The country could
have lessened the cases if initially the domestic and international travels were restricted.
Furthermore, funds were allocated to non-essential projects such as dumping dolomite sands in
Manila bay, war on drugs, shutting down of the biggest television network (ABS-CBN), and
many others. In a nutshell, the response to combat Covid-19 was not prioritized by the current
administration.
Though the media have radically altered the way we think about the government, it is still
important to treat every one with equal rights and respect no matter what their political views
are. I am apolitical and in my own opinion, it is morally correct to pressure the government to
do their jobs because we are all stakeholders in the country as a tax-paying individual. We can
even overthrow and criticize them if they neglected their responsibilities to serve the nation.
They just do not sit there for nothing.
The loss of trust in the government indeed increases distress and anxiety to many individuals
especially those who were laid off from their jobs because of downsizing or closure of their
companies due to the threat of the virus.
