by Minoelle Aralar || Photo Credit: Nikkei Asia

The country is currently experiencing what might be the worst economic downfall since Martial Law. Gas prices are high, consumer prices are rising, and most of all, the dollar exchange rate is rapidly falling — plummeting to a 16-year low. 

What does this mean for the future? 

Our future might be at risk of being gloomy, especially for aspiring scientists, in the country’s current ‘brain drain’ climate. At best, we may be a country recovering from the ails that plague it — a new era, they say. At the worst, however, we may just be continuing to fall lower than rock bottom. 

The country’s people seek economic security and the safety of being able to carry on with their lives without having to see poverty. For us scholars, on the other hand, it means being able to study and pursue the untarnished truth without having to worry about being unemployed after graduation. 

The current situation reflects uncertainty as to where the country is headed, especially with COVID-19 still lingering and continuing to debilitate the normal function of people’s everyday lives. It is a challenge on how to survive these unprecedented trying times. 

But even then, hope never fails to show itself. Hope prevails, even in the direst circumstances. There is still time for change to happen, for a miracle to happen. Perhaps, as the world continues to advance towards a brighter and better future, it is not too late for the Philippines to change its course for its own.

Perhaps, there is still a chance and hope for a future that burns bright.