PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte never fails to disappoint whenever he addresses the Filipino people. He is like a bad gift that keeps on giving. Make no mistake, the other government officials who usually perform as the front act to his main event may be communicating hopeful messages. In his last public appearance, for example, and based on reports of those who had the patience to watch either the live broadcast or the recorded version, not all of it was gloomy.

The Department of Health (DoH) reported that there is now a downtrend in the number of new cases and deaths from the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). News about anticipated vaccine arrivals were much welcome. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now ramping up clinical trials on non-vaccine interventions such as ivermectin, virgin coconut oil and other organic and nontraditional therapies.