EXPLORE:

The unexpected hardships for the past two years astounded us. Imagine if in this fast-
paced information age, everyone pays attention regardless of their socioeconomic
background. Every country will be slowed, silenced, locked down, and isolated. It took an
unseen opponent who waged war on humanity to rally and involve leaders, think tanks,
specialists, workers, front liners, mixed groups of people, and even the smallest unit of
society - the family - in order to protect its existence, maintain peace, security, and economic
stability. A conflict that requires intellectual, technological, and humane cooperation while
maintaining a physical distance. COVID-19 will not be forgotten in history.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2

virus. Most people infected with the virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness
and recover without requiring special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and
require medical attention.

As the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the world
faces the most challenging crisis since World War II, confronting a pandemic threatening
people in every country that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel import in the
recent past. The call is for every country big or small, developed or developing, former
competitor or an ally to work together, help each other to contain and combat this global
menace. Again, the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres encouraged everyone to act
together to address this impact and lessen the blow to humanity (“UN Chief”, 2020).
Therefore, shared responsibility, and global solidarity in responding to the socio-economic
impacts of COVID-19 are things to be embraced.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in the Philippines on
January 30, 2020. The first documented case was a woman who arrived in Manila from Hong
Kong. The country’s second confirmed case, which was the companion of the first case, was
the first recorded death due to COVID-19 outside of China (Edrada et al. 2020).

The COVID-19 crisis is the most complex and challenging peacetime crisis that the
world has ever faced in recent history. Over the course of 5 months, the novel coronavirus
has infected more than 6.1 million people in 188 countries and caused the death of almost
400,000 people around the world. The pandemic has forced governments worldwide to
declare national lockdowns, shutting down schools and workplaces, disrupting travel, and
forcing billions of people around the world to retreat into their homes. When the Philippines
emerged from lockdown on June 1, 2020, 18,638 people had tested positive for the novel
coronavirus and 960 people had died from the disease.

This pandemic is proving to be unlike anything that humanity has experienced before.
The rapid spread of the virus coupled with its high reproduction rate and unusually long
incubation period has caught governments off-guard as they scramble to adapt to the
situation.

In battling this pandemic, the Philippines is currently caught in a tug-of-war between

the national government’s authoritarian approach to the crisis, and local governments and
private citizens pushing for involvement and participation to fill the gaps in national
governance.
 The pandemic brought about the analysis of the dynamics between national
government, local governments, and the private sector, and establish a permanent Task Force
Group that will give recommendations on how local autonomy and citizens’ participation can
help support innovation and strengthen governance toward addressing the myriad issues
brought about by the Covid-19.

FIRM-UP:

In 2014, President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 168, which
established the Inter-Agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) as the
government's tool for assessing, monitoring, containing, controlling, and preventing the
development of any potential epidemic in the Philippines.

The IATF-EID was a task group established by the Philippine government's executive
branch to address emerging infectious disease issues in the country.

During the span of the outbreak of COVID-19, the IATF-EID has been activated and
chaired by the DOH Secretary governed by a manual entitled the Philippine Integrated
Diseases, Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) and Republic Act No. 11332, the Mandatory
Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act. The
Secretary of Health may call upon the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law
enforcement agencies to assist in addressing the COVID-19 threat (RA 11332 &
Proclamation No. 922).

On the other hand, an embedded disaster response structure covered by RA 10121, the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Act 2010, led by
the Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary and vice-chaired by the DILG
Secretary on disaster preparedness, among others. Presidential Proclamation No. 929 declares
the National State of Calamity upon the recommendation of the NDRRMC. The response
structure of NDRRMC is layered also down to the barangay level, the smallest unit of
governance, the BDRRMO.

On both grounded structures the PIDSR and the NDRRMC, as to seek the relevance
of the IATF-EID program is induced and present through the DILG roles in both structures.
These are equally able to reach people at the barangay level.

The response organizational structures were harmonized and mended by Republic Act
No. 11469, also known as the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act giving emergency powers to the
President amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. President Duterte appointed Gen Carlito G.
Galvez (Ret.) of the Office of Presidential Advisers on the Peace Process (OPPAP) as the
Chief Implementer of the Philippines’ declared national policy against COVID-19 (Memo
from Executive Secretary dated March 24, 2020). Now that the synchronicity of national
policy has been achieved, both grounded structures of PISDR and NDRRMC can be used to
implement strategies against the COVID-19 pandemic.

DEEPEN:

With the number of cases increasing, it gives enormous stress to our government to
implement all possible measures to minimize risk and exposure, strengthen our defenses and
health capacity, maintain peace and order, and ensure economic stability. Just like other
countries the Philippines has strategies to win this war. Every department, organization, and
group including industries and private individuals is making substantial and generous
contributions to help our country. With this, the IATF-EID played an integral role in
mitigating the virus.

The creation of the National Task Force on top of the Inter-agency Task Force has
been the government’s strength in terms of structure. It ensures a very organized and
systematic defense against this war. It remains the bastion of the government despite the
pressures on time and enormous tasks in this unprecedented situation.

TRANSFER:

In summary, the roles of the agencies under IATF-EID are similar to those of the
frontliners. The graduates and students from the Uniformed Services are part of the
manpower being utilized by the IATF-EID in implementing the guidelines of the community
quarantine. They are also involved in the logistics of essential items such as the transport of
goods, equipment, medicines, and similar needs.

The graduates from the National Government Agencies are mostly part of the lead
agencies in addressing the needs of the people during the implementation of the community
quarantine. In particular, the DSWD representatives are responsible for the Social
Amelioration Program; the DILG supervises the LGUs at various levels as they implement
measures supporting the fight against COVID-19, the DepEd created their own Task Force to
address concerns of the public-school education system, and students from the Department of
Health are responsible in the health operations of the department against COVID-19.

The students from the LGUs are now fighting head-on with the COVID- 19. Aside
from advising the Local Chief Executives of the current situations in their respective areas of
responsibility, the DRRM Officers are involved also in manning checkpoints, aid distribution,
and formulation of local strategies for their communities.

The private sector is not left behind as they ensure the continuity of their operations to
meet the necessities of the community in these times where the majority are not able to get
out of their homes.

These contributions of IATF-EID during the COVID-19 Pandemic are surmountable

achievements that on these sides of the fight our government has been readied to fight the
war. Knowing that our warriors are behooved not only of battle gears, morale, and guides but
also of intelligence to win the fight, to win the war.
2. What is the importance of acquiring new literacies across the curriculum?

Literacy used to be confined to being able to read and write. That was the primary
mode of communication at that time. With electricity and technological advances, more
people are gaining knowledge through auditory means, not just from the printed word.

New literacies refer to the skills and competencies required to effectively navigate,
evaluate, and create information using digital technologies. This includes the ability to
critically evaluate online information, communicate effectively through digital media, and
understand how to use various digital tools for learning and productivity.

The impact of new literacies on the teaching-learning process is significant. Educators

are now tasked with not only teaching traditional literacy skills such as reading and writing
but also with integrating digital literacy into their curriculum. This means helping students
develop the ability to find reliable information online, critically evaluate digital content, and
use digital tools for research and communication. Additionally, new literacies can promote
more interactive and collaborative learning experiences, as students engage with digital
media and technology to create and share knowledge. Expanding literacy would therefore
include additional ways of communicating which people use today. Books and lectures,
classes, and meetings now can and often are online. So, expanding literacy offers it to
everyone but it may be particularly helpful for those for whom word encoding or deciphering
is a great challenge for it includes several diverse methods of acquiring and communicating
knowledge and ideas. Overall, new literacies are reshaping the way educators approach
teaching and learning in the digital age.