In the first few years of the pandemic, the Philippines struggled to manage the disease and its effects on our society. For example, we saw how national and local leaders scrambled to adjust lockdowns, whilst addressing the heavy socio-economic costs of cyclical lockdowns and instituting new health policies across the nation.

Many Filipinos ask: Can we ever regain normalcy in our lives?

Produced six months after the onset of COVID-19, the Urbanismo Podcast hopes to advocate for greater inclusivity and sensitivity in crafting responses to this global health problem.

Together with Urbanismo.PH, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), we hosted a series of conversations that focused on the needs of various sectors: senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), farmers, and medium, small, and micro-enterprises (MSMEs), and conflict-affected communities outside Metro Manila.

With support from Freidrich-Ebart-Stiftung Philippines, the International Center for Innovation, Transformation, and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov), and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), we hope to shed light on pressing issues and find better ways to collaborate and solve them together.