The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte voiced confidence that the country will sail through the pandemic and see brighter days in 2021, Al Jazeera reports.
The Philippines continues to suffer from the novel pathogen, said President Duterte in his New Year message. Commenting on the rising number of the COVID-19 cases, the head of the state said that a pandemic may have cost Philipinos many lives and material resources.
Despite the global health crisis, Rodrigo Duterte believes that the epidemic of the corona has taught many important lessons. As of Friday, Jan 1, the Philippines reported 1,765 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the country to 475,820.
According to the Department of Health, the death toll climbed to 9,248 after four more patients died from the viral infection. In his address to the nation, President Duterte said 2021 becomes “a time for new beginnings and a time to be hopeful”.
“We realised the value of human life and our relationships with each other. We understood what it means to be a family, a community, a nation. We learnt to share and to look after the welfare of our brethren,” the 75-year-old leader added.
The national leader also expressed hope that the Philipinos march on to a new year wiser, stronger and more prepared for the challenges ahead.
After Indonesia, the Philippines has South-east Asia’s second-worst corona epidemic. The country implemented one of the world’s longest lockdowns from mid-March and has gradually loosened curbs in the past six months as the economy plunged into a recession.
