May - June 2020: The Malacañang placed the country under GCQ on May 16 except National Capital Region (NCR), Laguna, and Cebu City, which are under MECQ.

July - August 2020: The Malacañang stated that Metro Manila will maintain its GCQ status after the government noted effective compliance to protocols in slowing down the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases.

September - October 2020: Metro Manila would stay under GCQ until Sept. 30.

November - December 2020: President Duterte stated at that Metro Manila, including six other areas would follow under GCQ for the whole month of November.

May - August 2021 - The IATF has mandated all travelers, to be quarantined for 14 days upon the arrival.

September - October 2021 - The Malacañang announced that the National Capital Region, Bataan, and Laguna will remain under MECQ from Sept. 1 to 7, with the same additional restrictions.

November 2021 - As of November 2, the Philippines has registered only 2,303 new COVID-19 cases, which is the lowest single-day new infection rate recorded for the past eight months. The mayors of Metro Manila decided to lift the curfew hours in the National Capital Region for the first time ever since the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and authorized for emergency use worldwide. The best vaccine for an individual depends on factors such as age, underlying health conditions, and vaccine availability in their region. Some of the widely used vaccines include Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Covaxin. All authorized vaccines have demonstrated efficacy in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. It's essential to get vaccinated with the available options and to follow guidance from healthcare authorities.

Cholera is a disease that started due to poor sanitation of the public community and has prevailed to this day since the 18th century. It has spread globally and has killed millions of people throughout different countries. With its incidence mostly evident in areas of poverty, cholera has become an indication of inadequate provision of basic sanitation, water safety, and effective urbanization. Cases of cholera remain high, with an estimate of 1.3 to 4 million people acquiring the disease worldwide, which continues to spread caused by the limited resources necessary for both prevention and treatment of the disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022).

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by various challenges and changes. People have had to adapt to new norms such as wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and frequent handwashing to reduce the spread of the virus. Many have experienced disruptions to work, business, education, travel, and social activities due to lockdowns, quarantines, and restrictions implemented to curb the spread of the virus. Remote work and virtual schooling have become more common, while industries such as healthcare, grocery, and delivery services have faced increased demand. Mental health concerns have also been prominent, with feelings of isolation, anxiety, and stress affecting many individuals. Despite these challenges, communities have come together to support one another, and there has been a collective effort to develop vaccines and implement public health measures to overcome the pandemic.

During the Spanish era, misinformation and propaganda has led to a poorly-managed community and disease management. Misinformation that claims hidden intents of the colonials has spread throughout communities and has led to mistrust and propagandas. The neglect of the government to emphasize on health education and awareness in Filipinos has also led to barriers related to cultural and religious differences and has only led to disagreements and miscoordination among the citizens (Acevedo, 2021). Due to the locals’ incompliance with proposed health measures, the government resorted to abuse by forcible administration of medicines in detention camps and the burning of the Farola district.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised issues revealing the incompetence of the Philippine government concerning its management of the disease within the country. Quarantine measures implemented by the government were perceived and treated as more of a public order than a health concern. Citizens who did not abide by community quarantine protocols were arrested, detained, or shot. 

1st: 1817 - The first ever cholera pandemic started during the outbreak in 1812-1821 in India, known as “Asiatic cholera”. 

2nd: 1829 - The second pandemic also began in India and has spread throughout China, Europe, and America and lasted until 1851.

3rd: 1852 - The next year continued with the third cholera pandemic until 1860 and was considered as the deadliest among all seven pandemics. This pandemic mainly took place in Russia.

4th: 1863 - The fourth pandemic was transmitted through Indian Muslims who visited Mecca and was widespread throughout the Middle East until 1875.

5th: 1881 - The fifth lasted until 1896 in India and has spread throughout Europe, affecting Germany the most.

6th: 1899 - After three years, the sixth killed around 800,000 people in India and continued to grow in the Middle East until 1923.

7th: 1961 - The seventh and current cholera pandemic began in Indonesia.

January 2020: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

March 2020: The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic as cases surged globally.

The implementation of preventive and containment measures were ineffective partly due to the negligence and failure of the authorities to focus on health information dissemination and education and quick and responsive actions in response to the emerging cases (PH Movement, 2021).

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the gaps and inconsistencies that has led to the failure of measures that were intended for greater purposes.

1. Testing and contract tracings were too slow as evidenced by the unresponsive management of the DOH despite urgent calls from groups who requested mass testing.

2. The Philippines was cited to have the longest lockdown in the world despite consistent implementation of quarantine variations. Although restrictive measures were implemented as prevention control, medical, livelihood, and economical support were lacking. Ordinary workers plead hunger and desperation due to the inability to work in the midst of quarantine.

3. The inaccessibility of healthcare services especially to the public became a reflection of the inadequate resources and poor allocation management. Among the 1,845 COVID-19 referral and accepting

   hospitals, only 73 are public hospitals. Infection surges became a risk that came along this issue. A major lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was also evident despite its increasing demand in hospitals.