WE SHALL be celebrating a landmark anniversary. It is the anniversary of the nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19. It was March 16 last year when the doors were shut down to address the rapid spread of Covid-19 in the country. Weeks before the event, no less than the president joked about the virus and said it was nothing. However, when the spite of infection came to a "reality", it was then that the government became serious in battling the "invisible enemy."
If one could still recall, many of our traditional activities were put to a halt. Activities like graduations, honors' convocations, parties and proms, malling and even the celebration of masses and other sacraments were suspended because of the fear of the spread of the virus. Many politicians came to the rescue and from here and there made pronouncements and updates. Oratio Imperata, frontliners and backliners, active cases, PPE's, face masks and shields, alcohol and sprayer, cremation, minimum health protocols, ventilators, comorbidities, UK and African variants and different quarantine statuses became added words in our daily communications.
After a year, we now open everything as if nothing has happened. How soon do we forget? Today, in Manila, after weeks of relaxing, we see the second coming of the virus. Or is it just simply a virtual reality? Just asking.
The other day, I was riding a public transportation and had a chance to talk to the driver. He suspects an organization or a person is manipulating all the things here. He thinks that Covid-19 is more of a political and economic issue than medical. The virus may be real and spreading, we cannot deny that, but they are making money out of this and some are now positioning themselves for the coming elections. He said he is sure that Covid-19 will be used as starting point for many politicians.
A friend noted that the pandemic has brought a very high spike in the sales for computers and internet connection demand. The demand is so high that the price is also becoming very high. I told him, it is ok if we benefit from this but if you look deeper into it, the middle seller takes nothing but it is the "master capitalist" who gets a lot. An Artificial Intelligence magnate once said that for the world to survive this century, we need to cut down the world population. Months after, a pandemic broke out which spread like wildfire on dried leaves over the internet. Everyone in the world went haywire. The magnate and his family protected themselves with all their wealth while seeing the world kneeling. World economies are buying everything from this guy from computers to networking and even vaccines. This is why we continue to ask, where did the concept of virtual classrooms or learning come from? Why are computers and the internet "in" today?
Now, the vaccine has arrived and world leaders are kneeling before pharmaceutical companies to get their share of the vaccines. This is an answer to our prayers God willed it for us but it seems that even in these vaccines one could see economic and political issues. When will we work for the good of all? When will human life become our priority over business profit and gains?