Ramirez: Activate the optimist in us

Ramirez: Activate the optimist in us

AMID the pandemonium that the entire world is facing, one thing that could help lessen the burden of uncertainty that each one is suffering right now is to be an optimist and to rationalize that something good will always come out following this tempest.

Covid-19 has brought humanity to its knees and rigorously placed an ax that hovers over our heads, ready to fall if we would not resolve things that brought us into this impasse that had pushed mankind to a stalemate.

Rationalizing things over is easier said than done because the situation that we are in brought everyone back to the drawing board and forced us to reinvent whatever resources are available since the previous plans just would not work anymore.

The declaration of the enhanced quarantine that restricted the movement of residents in Cebu City and the entire province elicited heavy criticism as well as moderate appreciation in the social media but what the pessimists failed to peek is the opportunity those restrictions offered us.

Many whined and grumbled about canceled graduations, weddings, vacations, business opportunities and even religious activities to the extent of describing the restraint as harsh. What we failed to consider is that we are in drastic time that necessarily calls for the implementation of radical measures.

The education system encourages us to be outspoken about things that affects us for purposes of being part of the solution but not the source of the noise and grumbling that oftentimes distorts the structure, so if your brainwork is not worth a penny, then keep your silence.

One good thing that happened in the barangay where I am residing following the implementation of the enhanced quarantine starting last week is the ban against non-residents that also automatically shut off frequent visitors who come to score some illegal drugs.

When barangay officials learned that drug peddlers became creative by sending their errand boys to deliver the illegal merchandise beyond the perimeter set instead of just waiting inside their drug dens, the officials invited all those they identified to be engaged in illegal drug trade to a dialogue.

I was told by a barangay official who was present during the activity that a suspected pusher was arrested and brought to the police station when tanods recovered illegal drugs when they barged inside the drug den to personally invite the suspect to join the dialogue. The arrest led to another successful raid that same day after the suspect identified the source of illegal drugs.

Honestly, I have not seen them as aggressive in trying to protect the interest of their constituents against all forms of social ills. I hope that they can stay as they are right now, anyway that is the mandate they vowed to do.

The crisis has placed our public officials into a litmus test and we now have physical evidence of their competence or incompetence as the case may be. The crisis afforded us the capacity to pinpoint for ourselves who among those we elected can walk the talk because the cliché remains true that action speaks louder than word.

I hope that when all these things are over we can pick a lesson or two from these experiences and continue to live by these little sacrifices and inconveniences that will make us all survive the crisis.

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