Ombion: New variant, more uncertainties

Ombion: New variant, more uncertainties

THE recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) of a new Covid-19 variant initially called Omicron has quickly dashed public hope for a much better condition in 2022. Businesses suddenly trembled, jolting them to the state of fluidity and insecurity.

From the look of current international trends, the Covid-19 onslaught seems far from over, and people’s sufferings seem to have no end.

For nearly two years, the Covid 19 has shaken social systems, broken economies, worsened the impoverishment of the people more so the working class and other vulnerable sectors worldwide.

Local economies have also been devastated. The last quarter of this year see some recovery in towns and cities, so the same in the region of Negros and Panay.

But recovery is so slow especially for local businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and they are hardly coping and sustaining due to poor sales, low revenues, and depleting capital, because the large section of mostly middle and low earning consumers barely met their basic needs and obligations.

All the rest, no-work, no-pay jobbers, displaced workers and employees, poor farmers, fishers, vendors, transport drivers, senior citizens and persons with disabilities, single mothers and fathers, odd-jobbers, are even in dire conditions.

The only thing that has perhaps fueled the hope and optimism of the public to cope and survive is the way some local government units (LGUs) have initiated programs, projects and activities that address the health, safety and welfare of the people amid the Covid-19 pestilence.

Bacolod City, and a few others like Himamaylan, Iloilo, Dumaguete are worthy to mention because the local chief executives and their officials have never detached themselves from their people, always having dialogues with communities, attending to their health and safety concerns, mobilizing whatever resources they could get for the economic relief and rehab activities, and facilitating recovery enhancing initiatives stir local economy.

I am personally appreciative and grateful for seeing Mayors Bing Leonardia, Raymund Tongson, Jerry Trenas and Epi Remollo, often in the frontline, braving their risks in the fight against Covid-19 and for local economic recovery. I hope more local chief executives and LGU officials will emulate their examples.

Likewise outstanding are the active participation of the civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-government development organizations (NGDOs) in services delivery and persistent advocacy campaigns with the LGUs and all by themselves.

Exemplary LGUs and CSOs working together and in parallel, and a cooperative public, are so inspiring that fluidity, uncertainty and insecurity brought by Covid-19 variants are easily overcome. They are the first defense to whatever Covid-19 variants there may still be.

I just feel bad that other LGUs are so incompetent and irresponsible, where their vested interests and narrow power agenda often take primordial consideration over the safety and welfare of their people. This is especially true for LGUs under the entrenched control of political dynasties and feudal oligarchs.

This is something I keep on reminding colleagues and friends in the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), especially field officials to go for the essentials, things that truly matter to our people, instead of just scratching the surface, the manifestations of governance that truly change lives, transform communities and human relationships.

In this regard, I am again forwarding standing questions that matter much to our people -- will the 2022 elections turn out to be more advantageous in our fight against Covid-19 and its consequent disasters and hazards?

Will the people have enough enlightenment to go for genuine and visionary servant leaders, and reject those who couldn’t even walk their talk?

Will the new and old leaderships in LGUs after the 2022 elections be more visionary, sensitive, responsive to the challenges of the so-called new normal?

Will the DILG become, in the words of Secretary Año, not just a rowing but a steering and directing led-institution for the LGUs? Just a perspective.

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