Good Health, Good Life

Healthy citizens are important for a healthy society. When

people are healthy, they can not only enhance their

capability to fight different virus outbreaks but also

participate in the building of better and healthier societies.

However, different forms of sickness as a result of people’s

lifestyle are appearing in many countries. Ironically, in a

developing country like the Philippines, policies for health-

enhancing activities have gained minimal support. This

paper will argue that promoting a healthy lifestyle that

involves five essential elements – feet, fork, fingers, sleep,

and heart – is necessary for a healthy society. This means

that people must be physically active, eat pre-dominantly

plant-based food, avoid vices such as smoking and too

much alcohol, get enough sleep, and establish deep

connectivity and reciprocity with their fellow human

beings and the rest of creation as exemplified by many

indigenous peoples. While some people choose to stay

healthy through their conscious choices, many carelessly

behave unhealthily. This is where government policies and

programs for proactive health and wellness must be

crafted and implemented. Instead of focusing much on

prescriptive medicine, government should support the

promotion of healthy lifestyle as an important modality to

ensure that citizens are healthy and have a strong immune

system not only to fight a pandemic but more so in

preparing them in their vital role to build better and

healthier families and communities necessary for a more

reliable and healthier society.