THE first quarter of the year has been chaotic in whatever part of the globe you are in. Philippines is not exempted with the “New Year, new chaos” theme for 2020 as it had its fair share of troubles with the Taal Volcano eruption, trying to mitigate the effects of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), and dealing with international politics.
Added to this problem, is the proliferation of misinformation throughout the course of these events. For some unknown reason, some brainless individuals think it is fun to post misinformation during a time when anxiety is high among the public.
In troubled times like now, it is important that the general public cooperate with the guidelines set by the local government unit or national government. While the rules may be strict and to some of us, too much, these are put in place to protect the general public from any threats.
Among those guidelines that have been reiterated regularly by authorities is for the public to be wary of the information that they share online. Netizens have been consistently been reminded to always check where they are getting the information. Sadly, there are still those who consistently share unverified information. This results to further confusion among the general public and adds to the anxiety of the people.
Prior to the outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) in Luzon last year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has issued advisories on the ban of importation of pork from countries affected by the disease. This is part of the government’s efforts to prevent the entry of the disease in the country.
Sadly, ASF found its way to the Philippines affecting the hog industry in Luzon. This prompted local government units (LGU) in Visayas and Mindanao to implement measures to prevent the entry of the disease in their areas. Aside from banning the importation of pork and its by-products from ASF-affected areas, DA has also discouraged the feeding of swill, locally known as “lamaw,” to live pigs.
Unfortunately, the disease has found its way in Mindanao affected Davao Occidental and Davao City. According to DA Secretary William Dar, ASF in Davao Region may have been due to feeding the pigs with swill.
On top of this problems is the global outbreak of the 2019-nCoV. While it has not yet arrived in the city, the LGU has already implemented measures and guidelines to ensure that it does not come here to Davao City.
With so many things going on, whether we like or not, we have to follow the guidelines set by the government. Maybe it is through following these guidelines, we can be part of the solution in preventing the spread of ASF, 2019-nCoV, and ensuring that the city we live in is safe.