COVID-19 took a toll on our mental health as it instilled fear into our minds, especially during the first few months of the pandemic, when not much about the virus was known yet. As the dust finally settled, many have emerged stronger than before and have grasped newfound appreciation for their emotional wellbeing.

That was the case for artist and mental health advocate Jaymee Duran, who noted that while COVID-19 shook the world, it has also brought good things like a "renewed focus on what truly matters and how we adapt to challenges."

"I’ve come to appreciate the value of connection and community more than ever. Since 2020, I’ve continued offering arts-for-wellbeing sessions, now conducting them face-to-face, which has been so much more fulfilling. I’ve also returned to seeing my doctor in person and realized how much better everything feels face-to-face, even though online options remain incredibly convenient," she shared.

"In my last article, I spoke exhaustively about hope, and I remain an advocate of it. Things may still get difficult, but surviving COVID-19 is a testament to how real hope is. We may have lost loved ones or continue to face challenges, but I firmly believe we must hold on to hope—it is what keeps us moving forward and finding strength in each new day," she continued.

Social media marketing manager Maria Christel Bermudez, in her STAR34 piece, opened up about giving birth to a premature baby boy during the height of the pandemic. 

Five years after, she talked about how it taught her invaluable lessons that reshaped her family's life.

Among them are "understanding the peace that comes from submitting to God's will, even when the path seemed uncertain" and that "family is everything, their unwavering presence reminded me of the strength and comfort found in togetherness."

"Health became a non-negotiable priority; being immunocompromised then was a risk I never want to repeat, so I committed to a lifestyle of wellness and self-care," she shared. "The experience highlighted the need to prepare for rainy days, pushing me and my husband to educate ourselves financially and fuelling us to build a more secure future.

"The outpouring of help we received inspired us to pay it forward, embracing every chance to support others in their struggles in our capacity," she added. "With faith and gratitude, I am happy to share that my preemie warrior is a thriving 4-year-old and we never fail to re-tell this story to our kids, looking at it now with so much fondness, as these lessons now serve as a moral compass for our young family."

The entertainment industry took a big blow during the pandemic as creatives were forced to limit or pause their means of livelihood due to lockdowns. It seemed, however, like the world needed them more than ever to keep their spirits alive in a time filled with bleakness and isolation. Now that COVID-19 is no longer much of a threat, many artists are taking inspiration from that period to create a masterpiece that can give hope for the future.

GMA Pictures executive vice president Nessa Valdellon, who talked about how the production of TV programs was picking up but was "nowhere near the action" pre-COVID-19 in her 2020 essay, is now focused on developing films that will make a mark in history moving forward.

She looked back on losing both her father and her husband during that time. "While neither of them passed away directly from COVID, I know the stress and uncertainty of those times had an impact on them both. It was just a horrible time," she said. "If there’s anything good that came of it, it’s my realization that we’re all going to die—it could happen any moment—so we might as well make what’s left of this life count."

"When I started filmmaking, the goal was simply to make beautiful, interesting films. After the pandemic, I found myself really looking for stories that might become Philippine classics in the future—stories that will make a difference, that will outlive us, that will add to the cultural legacy of future generations. I don’t want to waste my time on filler content anymore. I refuse to be a waste of life," she stressed.

TV and events host and entrepreneur Tim Yap, who reflected on what it was like to be considered a non-essential as a PR and events man at the onset of COVID-19 in his STAR34 article, now wants to teach people a valuable lesson about taking the time to appreciate life. 

For him, the pandemic felt like something that had happened ages ago even if it had just been two years since the coast became clear. Now, he observed that people are doing a “mad dash to bounce back, to make up for lost time, to consume, and to achieve.”

“I, too, fell victim to this ‘more and more concept.’ Societal pressure teaches us to want more and be more. A story told to me by a dear friend comes to mind about a Masai Mara chieftain who has never traveled via a car—he was always close to the earth, doing everything by foot. He was invited by a group of researchers and they told him, ‘Hey, why don’t you ride a car for a change?’ And he did. Fifteen minutes after, he asked to step out of the car and he laid down on his back, eyes closed and doing the gesture kids would do when they make snow angels. They asked, ‘What happened? Are you okay?’ He answered, ‘I’m good, I’m just letting my soul catch up with me,’” Yap shared.

“In the midst of post-pandemic rush and humans' need to do everything all at once, may we not forget to tend to our souls, pamper ourselves, and do what is good to the world by being good to ourselves as well,” he urged.

The way people shop was heavily impacted by social distancing rules brought about by the pandemic, with online shopping becoming more popular than ever before. This led many to fully grasp the role of technology in making day-to-day activities easier during a bleak period, encouraging entrepreneurs to see it as an opportunity.

In 2020, Brian Gabriel Corella got real about the mental and emotional stress he experienced as the owner of a barbershop and men’s grooming company, The Maverick, during the lockdown.

Looking back at it now, he recalled how it inspired him to "adapt, persevere, innovate, and believe."

"Back then, we had to face the uncertainty of closing our barbershop doors, finding ways to support our team, and rebuilding when we were finally allowed to reopen. Today, while I still hold on to the belief that people come first, I’ve realized that progress starts with trusting your skills and building confidence in your team," he said.

"Change is constant—it can strike when you least expect it. That’s why being prepared for anything (In Omnia Paratus) has become my mantra. Now, as the world faces new shifts, like the rise of AI, one thing remains clear: to move forward, we must stay curious, learn constantly, and adapt quickly," he emphasized.

At the onset of the pandemic, Paj Arce, a flight attendant and wellness enthusiast, was one of those who braved the virus in order to bring people home to their families. This experience, she said, made her realize the importance of being present for her loved ones and embracing a simple life.

“The pandemic made me see that I could live a happy life without needing all those bags. What made my life meaningful was being present for the people I love and seeing them happy—everything else was just noise,” she said.

“I saw how fragile life is and I learned to put value on people and not things. The pandemic taught me that a simpler life is a happier life,” she added.

Food has long been a source of comfort for many, especially in difficult times. While this is so, the industry was put at risk after businesses had to temporarily close their doors due to the lockdowns, forcing many to rack their brains for strategies and alternatives they could do to keep their jobs afloat.

One of these is multi-awarded cake maker Penk Ching, who owns Pastry Bin. She previously narrated how COVID-19 threatened her business when “clients called to move their weddings, birthdays, and all sorts of occasions and celebrations to be moved to a new date,” causing the cakes she whipped with “elegance, grace and simplicity” to be wasted.

Ching has since gotten back up on her feet after coming up with a quick solution to sell small cake loaves to earn money. Despite the challenges, she regarded life at the time as “still sweet,” and she harbors the same mixed feelings about the pandemic to this day.

“COVID-19 was eye-opening for our time. I have mixed feelings of sadness and happiness about it—sad because many lives were lost, happy because instead of a World War, people were just at home taking care of each other,” she said.

Ching recalled how they had to adjust their cakes to smaller sizes as gatherings were limited to a small number of guests at the height of the pandemic. "Now, although a lot of things are back to normal, some people still stick to smaller celebrations so there is still demand for smaller cakes instead of traditional big cakes," she shared.

Cherrie De Erit Atilano, president and founding farmer of AGREA Philippines, still strives to spread growth and kindness to this day. She believes that “surviving the pandemic is a precious gift” as she realized that “we continue to do good as long as we are alive.” 

Through AGREA, they have been able to help around 30,000 smallholder farmers and women food producers by providing them access to an equitable market, capacity-building programs for sustainable livelihood, and financial inclusion initiatives.

“The pandemic caused so much divide—the poor became poorer and the rich became richer. So, more work needs to be done in lessening this gap in our society,” Atilano said. “Food is always crucial in any crisis, and this is pretty evident during COVID-19, more so is nutrition. Those who were healthy survived and thrived.”

“As we progress from the remnants of the pandemic, my only wish is to care more and to always focus on people, especially those who are deeply vulnerable,” she added.

The pandemic sparked a newfound appreciation for the work-from-home setup, with many companies choosing to adopt this scheme now that gadgets are instantly accessible in the high-tech world we live in today. However, not everyone has had the luxury of transitioning into this working model, especially when their very business involves close interaction with their customers, which COVID-19 prohibited. 

While some tragically had to stop their operations permanently, others had to think outside the box so their business could still see the light of day. This includes seasoned marketing professional Errol Magdato, who opened the first live role-playing game in the Philippines, Mystery Manila. 

In his STAR34 article, Magdato talked about being a leisure-based business at the time of the pandemic, making it among the last ones to be allowed to reopen after the quarantine was lifted. 

According to him, when malls were starting to reopen after the enforced downtime, they were a bit wary of resuming operations as they didn’t know if there would be sufficient demand for what Magdato called a “non-essential service.”

“To our surprise, a lot of customers came, even exceeding our expectations. I guess, the sense of isolation brought by the pandemic has heightened the need for experiential activities to enjoy with family and friends. Five years after COVID, sales have rebounded to even higher than pre-pandemic levels,” he said.

“If there were any lessons to be learned, it was this: that what might be a big setback could possibly be a giant opportunity if you look at it from the right perspective. In our case, COVID-19 pushed us to innovate rapidly by activating online versions of our escape rooms games, which allowed friends and co-workers to connect and have fun despite the stresses of the lockdown,” he continued.

Post-COVID, Magdato said that online activities continue to contribute a new sales channel to his business. 

“For a lot of businesses like us, going through COVID was tough and grueling. But looking at it now from the other side, we can also appreciate how it has helped us grow and become stronger as a business,” he mused.

Donald Lim, the Chief Innovation Officer of Udenna Corporation, mused on how COVID-19 "spared no one" including their company when it surfaced in the country in 2020, a time they were "most unprepared." They had to implement permanent changes and step up their operations to keep the business going. 

"The COVID-19 pandemic taught businesses valuable lessons in resilience, adaptability, and innovation, forcing even the most traditional companies to embrace digital transformation. Remote work became a proven strategy, unlocking global talent pools and fostering flexibility in the corporate sector," he said.

Lim pointed out how the crisis underscored the significance of empathy and employee well-being, which served as a reminder for leaders to "thrive when their people do."

He said the pandemic put the spotlight on the corporate sector’s greatest asset: its "ability to adapt, learn, and grow, turning adversity into an opportunity for lasting transformation."

Now in 2025, Lim noted we are faced with new challenges, including technology in particular. "AI and Blockchain are disrupting our space, how we work and how we do business."

"While we were not and unable to prepare for something like COVID, the new tech tsunami is upon us, with issues on cybersecurity and obsolescence and upskilling requiring new outlook and mindsets in business. Let us learn from COVID, and prepare our people and ourselves on something we can and should really prepare for," he added.

Just as technology had a beneficial role in giving out crucial information about the COVID-19 pandemic, it also proved to be malicious when it fell into the hands of those who spread misinformation whether purposefully or unwittingly. Still, it's undeniable how gadgets let the society continue to function in terms of work, education, and business.

Alvin Juban, the president of Game Developers Association of the Philippines, said in his 2020 piece that the pandemic was like winter, which put a pause on many things and had people locked in their homes to let the snowstorm pass. According to him, people in the gaming industry found it easy to push through with their work.

In 2025, he talked about staying reinvented and highlighted the power of the work-from-home setup, noting that while "it’s not perfect" and "has its drawbacks," it will continue to "keep pushing our economy forward–only if we make it so."

"Due to WFH, feelings have become vital in this new norm. The pandemic has left us with a sizable young workforce that has shown frailty and fracture. But let’s not be too 'woke' and always use kid gloves when red flags arise since in many cases, it just leads to even more weakness," he emphasized.

Juban, who previously lamented how he never got to fully appreciate the countries he visits due to business, went on to urge others to appreciate the great outdoors more. "The most beautiful things in the Philippines are the most untouched by man, so let’s get out there to the 7,000 islands by land, sea, and air—and get nourished by the experience."

For MultiSys Technologies Corp. founder and former CEO David Almirol, who talked about being part of the team behind contact tracing app StaySafe.ph in his previous essay, the pandemic was a "wake-up call" for the world that "life is so short and frail" regardless of one's status. 

"Humankind must forget their differences no matter what ideology, race, or stand—they need to join forces to help one another not just to live but to live with purpose. It's a clear message of restoring original human mentality and behavior to love, protect, and respect one another," said Almirol, who is now the Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary for E-Government.

"Divisions, dirty politics, greed, and selfish acts must stop. The pandemic's message is to restore solidarity and empathy to all people. If we do not learn this clear message, we're doomed," he added.

Co-founder of ChatGenie.PH Ragde Falcis once believed that even after the pandemic is over, the economic recovery will "not be as quick as optimists in the industry predicted."

Now that the virus' threat has largely receded, he underscored how the shift from physical to digital operations has "fueled the rise of e-commerce, sped up the adoption of mobile payments, and strengthened the digital economy.

"Businesses are looking ahead to the growing influence of artificial intelligence across various sectors, seeking fresh ways to innovate and drive sustainable growth," he said.

There's no doubt that experts in the realm of science and medicine were burning the candle at both ends trying to stop the COVID-19 virus from further risking the lives of Filipinos. But just as our health professionals received much appreciation for their hard work and sacrifices, they also bore the brunt of criticisms for the country's poor healthcare system. Because of this, many are taking the time to reflect on what improvements the health department should do to prevent a repeat of these events.

In his STAR34 piece, Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana, the director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the National Institutes of Health at University of the Philippines-Manila, talked about surviving COVID-19 without a vaccine and how people would have to "learn to live with the virus in a long-term fashion" if not one would be developed. 

Now that over 79.2 million people have been fully vaccinated against the disease in the Philippines, he said that among the lessons he learned from the pandemic was sticking to the principles of science and communicating these strategies properly to the stakeholders and implementers. 

"Many measures were unpopular early on, but the combined efforts of the government as well as the public and private sectors contributed to an unprecedented mass vaccination program and enabled the Philippines to perform well above its resource level," he added.

The renowned infectious disease expert also asserted that "constant vigilance and education against anti-science forces" are needed to ensure that the response to future pandemics is "more efficient and preserves more lives."

Dr. Mario Panaligan, an infectious disease specialist who was the former president of the Philippine College of Physicians, wrote in 2020 that our battle against COVID-19 was "bigger than our struggles."

Now, he looked back on how they were able to fight the virus by creating evidence-based clinical guidelines and engaging in scientific activities such as medical education sessions. Through these, they were able to equip healthcare professionals with the latest insights on the virus in order to help their patients.

Panaligan, who now serves as the chair of the Department of Medicine at St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City, underscored the importance of clinical trials against COVID-19. "The success of these trials highlighted the essential role of research in addressing public health crises and reaffirmed my dedication to clinical investigation as a cornerstone of medical progress."

"The collective journey from the pandemic’s onset to now has been transformative. It has reinforced the importance of leadership grounded in empathy, evidence, and collaboration. It has also underscored the essential role of research, education, and advocacy in creating resilient healthcare systems," he added.

The COVID-19 virus became a tremendous obstacle in the future of the youth. After all, how can they acquire knowledge in the classroom without being able to step foot outside their homes in fear of getting sick? But despite everything that the pandemic took away from society, it seems as though it had brought one good thing to the table by normalizing distance learning, which has now become a remedy for suspensions during stormy weathers.

Fr. Aristotle Dy still vividly remembers the quick work to shift education online.

In his STAR34 piece, he reflected on how Xavier School, where he served as president in 2020, was "journeying into uncharted territory" with its online curriculum and formation program. At the time, he said they were hoping that the young people they educated “will have the skills they need to navigate the world of the future and leave it better than when they found it.”

Looking back now as the president of Ateneo de Naga University, he said the "ability to adapt quickly, to engage new technologies, and to seize the moment, are dispositions that I have brought to the current challenges of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis." 

"Above all, I hold on to the illuminating companionship of God in Jesus Christ, a conviction that I am never alone in the journey," he said.

Rev. Fr. Jesus Jay Miranda, the Vice President for Academics and Research of Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Bataan, emphasized in his STAR34 essay the need for teaching and learning through technology amid the COVID-19 crisis.

This time, he reflected on whether the Philippines has become "strategic enough" after the pandemic. He observed that two kinds of institutions have come out: Those that are strategic enough to take advantage of the learnings that came from the pandemic and those that just went back to business as usual.

According to him, the more strategic ones had "crucial realizations like how technology had aided education and business towards the many paths to education and style of work," leading them to introduce cultures that could make their people feel at home in the new but effective way of performing work.

"What is admirable were the institutions that have created a whole program and practices as regards technology mediated education and work. There are universities and colleges who even put up new institutions or departments for all those who appreciate and are willing to enroll in an online delivery of education," Miranda said.

On the other hand, he said that the less strategic institutions "did not quite understand the meaning of new normal" and merely maintained the "reactionary mentality of the bureaucrats" in their institutions.

News entities have always played a crucial role in keeping the public updated about what's happening, especially during dark times like COVID-19. Whether they liked it or not, journalists had to swallow their fear of getting infected in order to get the facts and numbers they needed to report about the virus, ensuring that their readers and viewers were well-informed on how to better safeguard the lives of their loved ones and also their own.

During the STAR34 campaign, GMA News reporter Joseph Morong shared how the pandemic "underscored journalism’s importance in Filipinos’ daily lives on a personal level, and to democracy on a larger scale."

Not much has changed for him five years later, only that journalism has become “more personal, instantaneous, and multi-platform” than ever. He noted that his line of work has become more difficult as time goes by, and he is constantly challenged to stay true to his principles as a journalist.

“The pandemic has shown us how crucial right information was during those very confusing times thereby underscoring the important role that journalism plays in our society,” he said.

“The challenge now for journalists and journalism continues to evolve in its form to stay relevant while remaining true to our and its core values of accuracy, independence, impartiality, humanity and accountability which are our edge over other forms of distribution,” he added.

Amy Pamintuan, the editor-in-chief of The Philippine STAR, expressed her sadness over how there was "less laughter in the newsroom" due to COVID-19 quarantines and other restrictions in her 2020 essay. She likened human interaction to air: "We take it for granted, but its absence is not only missed but also poses an existential threat." She added, "Like everyone else, we can’t wait for this crisis to be over."

This 2025, she lamented how the virus took away the lives of those who are dear to her heart. “I lost so many friends to COVID-19. I caught the virus during the worst pre-vaccine Alpha surge and infected eight people, and my partner died within a week of infection. For three years, I didn’t travel overseas," she said.

"Today, I still wear a mask, and wash and disinfect my hands regularly. I still carry around with me a small bottle of alcohol,” she added.

Despite it being the least of everyone’s worries now, it’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has made its mark in the lives of Filipinos in one way or another. But in the end, the world managed to get back up on its feet and live on for another day, which goes to show that the resilience of Filipinos is indeed an unseen force that has triumphed against the unseen enemy.