The Philippines is well-positioned to cope with the economic impact of the virus outbreak, but is not immune to its human costs.
Since the Philippines is exceptionally prone to both extreme climate and geological events, Senator "Bong" Go's bill for the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience should be taken seriously. As the outbreak has shown, new calamities are just a matter of time. Proactive preparation matters.
The human costs of the virus have so far been negligible in the Philippines. While the number of patients under investigation has climbed to almost 320, of