THE Philippines is entering a “phase of acceptance” of the coronavirus pandemic, where people are aware of the risks but are learning to manage them, Go Negosyo founder Jose Ma. “Joey” Concepcion 3rd said Thursday.

“I call it a phase of acceptance; I believe it has started and that we will have to live with the risks of the virus still being around,” he said.

“The world has started moving on; let’s not be the last ones to accept this fact.”

According to the former presidential adviser for entrepreneurship, Filipinos have been advised on the best practices for dealing with Covid-19, foremost of which is getting vaccinated as an added layer of protection against the virus.

“Doctors advise us on how we should handle Covid, but in the end it is us that makes the choice,” he said.

“We suffer the consequences of our wrong decisions in life; this is no different,” he added.

Since there is no legal mandate regarding mandatory inoculation, the business leader pointed out that the country must add to its stockpile of antiviral medicines for those severely infected, since the threat of Covid-19 is still very much present.

Medical experts have warned of a spike in Covid-19 cases in the country following the relaxed policy on mask-wearing outdoors.

This is despite the sluggish vaccination of citizens.

The return to in-person classes also raised fears that the virus might reach even home-bound elderly citizens and the immunocompromised, who are more likely to suffer severe illness and even death.

Infectious diseases expert Dr. Benjamin Co said that the country cannot wait for everyone to decide on their personal health.

“We cannot protect everyone all the time. We have already provided everyone with the tools to prevent, diagnose and treat Covid-19. The next move is ours on an individual basis,” said the OCTA Research fellow.

He explained that it may appear that Covid-19 cases are going down globally not because there are fewer people getting infected but because “people are not testing as frequently as before and prefer to move on in spite of the pandemic.”

Co also likened the pandemic to the stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

“The sixth stage is the final journey after acceptance — finding meaning,” he said.

“With lives upended by the pandemic, it is difficult to get back to the way it was. We will never be the same anytime soon. Yet we need to be,” he added.