A CONVENIENT way to cover up for the Bacolod City Government's gross failure to curve reported surge in Covid local transmission.
Actually, a squid tactics to shift the blame on people's lack of discipline and hardheadedness away from the administration's lack of comprehensive, realistic, participatory and cost-effective campaign strategy.
This was not apparent during the ECQ because the climate was simply to follow national orders and the general focus was on the national.
When the quarantine status of the city was relaxed further to MGCQ, the local government exposed its inutility in laying the comprehensive platform vs Covid, and more so in dealing with local transmission.
For two months now under MGCQ, the city has not made any progress in so called flattening the curve. All hot air presscon, announcements, advisories, lockdowns, arrests, lengthening of curfew, and what have they.
Lots of suggestions to the local government to deal effectively with Covid from academe, CSOs, business, people's organizations, local churches, while reviving local economy, have simply fallen on deaf ears, and empty boxes.
Callously stubborn and arrogant ironically embellished by shadows of humility and calmness, was all the administration has shown to the people of the city and province living and doing business in the city.
Even the popular clamors to explain thoroughly and scientifically the Covid trends, the public perception on manipulated Covid stats, swab and rapid tests scams, the looting of PhilHealth funds side by side with some private greedy capitalist hospitals and medical professionals - have simply been ignored, often dismissing them as politically driven.
The proposals to adopt the more effective, cost-efficient Community-based approach to Covid finding and healing, an approach tested so effective in other areas and countries, have been shut down.
Late in August, the City Council has given the mayor the executive emergency powers to practically do whatever he wants with Covid campaign, and his disposition of his powers.
The result is back to GCQ, to more people-blaming, scaring and mass hysteria, and stricter control.
It plans to allow businesses under GCQ classification, public transportation, communication, food shops, to operate, yet unmindful of the impact of its stricter measures on former, e.g. more tightened checkpoints, curfews, and scare tactics.
Some people wonder and ask, is he mad, "covidized," that his moves are fraught with inconsistencies and debilitating impact.
If the City Council surrendered all their powers on Covid to the mayor for their belief that he can solve everything, then many would say, you are seriously wrong guys. If they did it for the reason that they have political debts to be paid to the mayor, then they are cowards.
But if they believe they have the power to make real difference, cognizant of all the experiences and lessons for the past 5 months, then reclaim them and start anew. It's not too late to reposition and defeat this Covid which is after all manageable by simple and even indigenous proper health care.
Let us not forget that our forefathers, elders and parents have rich experience in basic yet effective health care practices. Let's return to them and practice them.
Modern day hospitals, medicines and vaccines and greedy medical practitioners are the ones killing us softly and quickly, not viruses of sorts.
Look at the slipperless, shirtless kids and vitaminless in rural areas, in slum areas, they may look yaakkss, but they are stronger than any viruses and bacteria that visit us from time to time.
Wanna be like them?