AS WE have been acquainted with the kind of Christmas celebrations we have over the years, I don’t know what kind of Christmas our people will have in this time of pandemic. I am sure our lives would remain at stake while trying to survive in these times where coronavirus is very much active. For as long as the vaccine remains the least in our many priorities, we find life to be gloomy even up to the middle months of next year.
Our problem is we don’t know what happens every day of our lives. As I have been telling about those infected and died, we don’t know who will be next. It is about accepting that up to now, we are not yet safe with the coronavirus that we cannot see. Even with those we interact with, he or she could be a possible carrier.
This goes back to the very role of our government. The Covid-19 helps in the realization of many societies particularly on health policy and bureaucracy as a whole.
I believe that it should start with the basic understanding of government as social institution, which is vital in the existence of our people. When this institution is not functional as expected, it becomes a structure that has no use and should be abolished by the people themselves. Hence, it is imperative that a social institution should act for the interest of the people who give their approval to establish one.
In the Philippine context, let us assume our government is also preoccupied to determine what is the best in the list of vaccines needed by our people to fight this pandemic. But those who are deciding on this should not consider government as an extension of their personal ventures where urgency is just an option. Those who approved to form up a government are the subjects of decision-making and that life is at stake. Unless life is not important that we can simply set aside talks on ending the problem with coronavirus.
There is also an impression that those in government are not in one frequency in terms of policy choices nowadays. I heard another decision of DepEd to start the face-to-face classes in areas identified by LGUs who have less cases of Covid-19. This is despite the presence of threat that government also acknowledges until the vaccine is tapped. Yet, I can’t see the soundness of judgements to impose this policy among our learners when the virus is still around. Why we need to force the matter when we are not sure about its outcome? Why not wait until we have the vaccine to ensure safety for our children?
This is similar with our decision to act normally while we live under the threats of Covid-19. We want to get on with our lives even at having classes in all levels for reasons that we cannot live thinking about the virus. But our government also failed to require these internet providers to give efficient service in these times of pandemic. In fact, it has opened an opportunity for our people to be taken advantage with the need to tap the upgraded subscription or be left with slow or no internet at all.
These things are to be considered vital in our hopes to restore our lives from demoralization created by the pandemic. There is no other institution of society that could take the lead than our government.
If our government fails to look at these flaws then, we will exactly face the gloomy Christmas and the bitter days ahead. But our spirits are alive and we remain hopeful.
Even with this pandemic, I wish everyone the best of the season.