There is always hope and amidst the pandemic, Carl Balita sees a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
At a Zoom press con, Balita, a registered nurse, midwife, teacher, and businessman, believes that proper administration and the effective vaccine have made a big difference in the pandemic response.
“COVID-19 is not a curse,” he said. “It will be here to stay. We need to coexist with it.
“We’re not anymore afraid of chicken pox, measles and the like because of vaccines and effective management. Soon we will not be afraid of HIV, because there will be a cure for it.
It used to be a dreaded condition, too,” he added.
The pandemic has also hastened the shifting of the digitization of many systems in society, including education.
From the regular, face-to-face method of teaching, the whole world has had to move to online classes. This will be the norm, post-pandemic, said the educator and entrepreneur.
“Hindi na tayo babalik in the same way we taught in the past,” he said. “The only purpose that students should go back is for assessment, for some remediation and socialization.
‘Yung tatlong ‘yun muna. But to deliver content, we can do it digitally.”
And there is no need to fret when it comes to internet speed, because, Balita said, the telecom industry will eventually catch up with the demand, the same way that televisions and mobile phones have now become available for all — regardless of social status.
Aside from being passionate about education, health and business, Carl is also a big advocate for the arts. He has produced two advocacy movies, “Nars” by Adolf Alix (2007) and “Maestra” by Lem Lorca (2017), and strongly believes that the Philippine film industry needs to find its direction, in the same way that our neighboring countries like Korea and China have found their own identities in the world stage.
“Ang maganda sa Philippine production is we’re good in English. What if the Philippines will concentrate in producing digital content for learning purposes? In fact, that’s listed in one of my agenda,” he said.
“The Philippine film industry should look into differentiation that is anchored in where we are good at. And we’re good at culture and the arts. In languages. In English. Imagine, if Korean will make zombie films, if Bollywood will make entertainment films, maybe the Filipinos will make cultural and educational [movies] na ganung production values.”
Not only will this strengthen our identity outside, but also deepen the appreciation of Filipinos for our own culture.
“There has to be strengthening of local identity so that history can be learned better and appreciated better by our students,” he said. “Not a lot of people understand that the distance by which we can travel forward is proportionate to the distance that we can look back. We have an identity. The reason we are like this is because we don’t have an identity that we could actually make us proud of.”
The 51-year-old former DZMM radio anchor has thrown his hat in the political arena and is now running as senator under Aksyon Demokratiko. There had been several offers for him to run before, but this time, it was Aksyon Demokratiko’s standard bearer, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, who asked him to be part of his senatorial slate.
Carl said his wife, a doctor, was against his entering politics. But then, Mayor Isko personally asked permission from her and their three kids.
“Hiramin ko muna ang tatay nyo ng six years, may aayusin lang kami sa gobyerno para sa inyo,” Isko told his family.
It is Carl’s firm belief that he not only has a chance in clinching a senatorial spot, but also he is supporting the presidential candidate that the country needs.
“It’s five months to go, and one thing with Isko is he has Manila as his receipt. All Filipinos need to see is what he has done in Manila. I wish other candidates can say the same. I just wish that other candidates can show how they led — it’s about leadership. Isko’s life is a story in itself that many Filipinos would like to understand and appreciate. He will win. And he should win.”
