AFTER days of not appearing in public to make a statement on how the government will address the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the President finally appeared on Monday, February 3.
The President says there is no need to be afraid about nCoV, but presidential guards strictly kept reporters and people from getting near him for fear of the virus. I guess action speaks louder than words.
The President also advised us not to blame China for the coronavirus. His trust ratings in China went up after that statement.
Health Secretary Duque also earlier said imposing a travel ban is not necessary because it will hurt diplomatic relations with China. Makes you wonder is he a doctor or is he Teddyboy Locsin without the cursing?
So I wonder, how's the President's trust ratings after this scare? A Duterte page in Cagayan de Oro called DDS News-CdO said they are "disgusted w/ Pres. Rody Duterte's handling of this health emergency... he has put all Filipinos at great risk." Someone has been cured from blind fanaticism in Mindanao, and finally doing "real talk." Then, the hashtag #OustDuterte was the top trending tweet last weekend.
The problem with how government handled this is a matter of doing little, too late. Imposing a travel ban when planes from China carrying Chinese passengers were already here. It's like saying I put off the match but the fire has already spread all over the house.
Saying little, doing nothing for days left people to fend for themselves. Like here in Davao City, when those two planes from China and Hong Kong landed in our airport, and then Duque announced the first nCoV case here, everyone rushing to the pharmacies and stores buying face masks, hand sanitizers and alcohols. The medicine supply stores are making a killing selling out these items.
To those like me who did not get to buy face masks, one wonders, what now? Who's going to protect us? Can we stop a virus on a checkpoint?
That shows that information and government action matters to help us understand and have trust that the situation is under control. But as Inday Espina Varona points out, silence only makes fear and anxiety increase. And it also makes disinformation spread as fast as the virus. That's the sad fact, and if you rely on the "DDS-aster News," you'll get your opinions skewed.
Like, in the past days, online DDS are posting that we must show "humanity" to Chinese visitors. There are those copy-paste stories about being sympathetic to Chinese passengers or neighbors.
We are supposed to show that kind of humanity to our own neighbors, the Lumad and Marawi bakwits. But then again, this city has "sisterhood relations" with three Chinese cities, and China government has commitments to invest in Build-Build-Build. I guess government wants to change neighbors, and build walls instead to keep us away from our own homes and lands. China cash is the real virus.
The first reported nCoV death happened here in the Philippines, I think that's not the close relationship with China that the government wants to talk about.