“POVERTY is not the number one enemy of a civilized society. It is boredom and solitude.” Government, media, parents, friends and almost everybody is giving everyone repeated advice to stay home. Easy to say. I acknowledge that the cases are rising each day and it is too risky to be going to the supermarket or to your nearby grocery store.
I am exposed to this treacherous virus each time I spend 30 minutes or one hour at my favorite coffee shop because I wouldn’t know who among the habitués is asymptomatic. But I cannot imprison myself for so long even my cell is my own home. The stress is too much to bear for me.
Imprisonment, because my government is ruled by inefficient bureaucrats and military people who are mostly square pegs on round holes. Furthermore, there are people who have sticky fingers who want to dip them in each transaction is what millions of Filipinos cannot take.
Here in Pampanga, both Governor Dennis Pineda and his mother Vice Governor Nanay Baby have rolled sleeves in battling the surge. As of Saturday there were 10,197 confirmed cases with 510 mortalities. It is indeed alarming. According to the health experts, the new strain is highly transmissible. Early on, strict observance of protocols was imposed before the Holy Week which supposedly ended last Monday, April 5. It was extended until April 15. Angeles City followed suit because after all it is geographically part of the province, though not part of the province’s political jurisdiction.
This is not the time for the blame game, but the Inter-Agency Task Force should have open ears to validate suggestions, not necessarily from experts but from people like you and me. I commonly use my columns for commentaries for and against an issue. Now I expanded it through social media by posting it on my wall on Facebook and other means like Messenger and Twitter. Here below is what I posted last week and was liked and shared.
PAGING IATF...What do you need a contact tracer for? I don’t understand why we don’t disclose the names of those infected if celebrities, government leaders and prominent businessmen make public their Covid-19 infection, eh bakit hindi naman isa-publiko ang mga na-infect? Hindi naman sa ako’y nag-mamagaling,pero kung sa umpisa pa lang alam natin kung saan at sino sa atin purok, kalye o barangay ang dinala sa ospital o na quarantine,pangalanan, ibigay ang address and make their names via social media or any other means, I firmly believe that if it was done, it lessened the virus spread. (end of post)
Many of the comments on the post suggest that it is indeed a good idea. But I am not sure if IATF people are open to suggestions. Look how the Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration are foot dragging or outright rejecting the use of Ivermectin high according to many senators and congressmen is an anti-Covid drug.
Well as it is, the advice: stay home and stay sane.