Lessons in Adaptation and Innovation of Selected Local COVID-19 Responses in the Philippines

Abstract

During pandemics, climate action seems to take a backseat as the priority action of governments seems to be in containing the emerging infectious disease and minimizing its adverse effects on public health, security and the economy. For COVID-19, for example, this crisis disrupted almost everything in our lives. It has drastically changed the ways of governing and governance. It has re-arranged policy priorities to the detriment or advancement of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This research looks at the interventions on climate action and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. It assesses the Philippines’ national and local governments’ COVID-19 Responses and explores their features, with or without climate action. For the local Response, it draws lessons in adaptation and innovation from selected local COVID-19 programs, which the Galing Pook (GP) Foundation deems as exemplars in its 2021 Awards. Specifically, it describes the local COVID-19 response programs of six cities and provinces and infers features that make them successful and better than the national COVID-19 response. Emphasis will be on the impact, participation, innovation, and sustainability of these programs on the communities they serve as well as their proactive climate action amidst the pandemic. Generally, the national COVID Response appears failing and with concentration on addressing the pandemic and recovering from the crisis. Despite strides, the 2021 Bloomberg COVID Resilience Index puts the Philippines at the bottom list as “it scored lowest in virus containment, the quality of healthcare, vaccination coverage, overall mortality and progress toward restarting travel and easing border curbs, among others” (Aguilar 2021). In contrast, local COVID Responses appear to effectively contain the virus, without sacrificing the economy, environment and people’s lives. This study is mainly qualitative. It analyzes secondary materials such as studies and reports gathered from the GP Foundation and other sources. It theorizes that adaptation, innovation, participatory governance and strong leadership are key to successful (local) COVID response. Also, adding mitigation of climate risk escalation puts these programs a cut above the rest. These are crucial elements, which the national government could ponder on and emulate.