WHEN
NEWS OF THE VIRUS spread its infection from ground zero in Wuhan to the rest of
China and over its borders, I was quite alarmed because the Philippines does
not have a very efficient health-care system. On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is
weak and 5 is strong, my country is down there hovering between 0.5 to 0.8,
nowhere near those countries where we thought are weaker than ours.
That
is because we have a very large population broken into islands and regions
where each has a disappointing bed-to-population ratio with its unique set of
problems which may cause the prevention and the containment of the virus very difficult.
The Philippines is simply not ready for a pandemic and the government lacked
people with sufficient experience, knowledge and skills who could tackle this
problem head on.
This
was a medical problem that needed medical solutions but the final decisions
were from the retired generals and politicians who insisted on treating this as
a military campaign. Our doctors and men of science were relegated to the
background and bawled over when they insisted on their scientific-based
opinions, just like what China was doing to its scientists.
I
could never fathom the meekness of my government to China and started accepting
Chinese tourists (while others closed their borders with China) in the most vulnerable
time of the pandemic. In fact, a Chinese woman from Wuhan started the circus
here when she appeared in Cebu in early February 2020 and infected everyone who
came into contact with her. That news placed everyone in fear and uncertainty
and that was a bad sign of the times.
I
am a reluctant prepper. I advocate prepping but not the type of prepping that
is beyond your means. I have been prepping myself, my family and my home for
all calamities, natural or man-made, if and when it comes knocking in our time.
This pandemic tested me and, so far, in my self-assessment, I am slightly better
than my neighbors. Simply because, I am a prepper and I follow protocols.
The
“new normal” screwed people so hard that they find it hard to adapt to this and
discard their old habits with which their comforts are dependent on. Likewise, the
government is so inept and does not have a long-term national plan to combat
this pandemic. Fake news floated in social media and added to the confusion.
Everything seemed to be going against us as lockdown after lockdown were
imposed to contain an invisible enemy.
Lockdowns,
known here as Enhanced Community Quarantine, Modified ECQ, General CQ and
Modified GCQ, jumped back and forth, according to the severity of the statistics
of a city or province. Cebu City became the “center of the pandemic” as government
kept on pointing fingers at anybody except themselves. The inner suburbs indeed
has people who disdained the safety protocols and have added to the problem.
It
was in these times – at the beginning, during and the current stages of the
pandemic - that I braved the streets and “broadcast” my opinions, criticisms,
observations, apprehensions, satires and appreciation in Facebook as “El
Bandido”, in my pandemic-long “syndicated” SIGNS
OF THE TIMES. I used the same hash-tags over and over: #fortresscebu, #wuhanvirus
and #apocalypsis.
FORTRESS
CEBU.
It is a jibe at government, and later, businesses, for taking a heavy hand on
the population, creating rouge fortresses and backyard kingdoms out of fear.
People too became midget castles of their mind. Travel, for a time, out of your
home was forbidden as well as of people visiting you. All access to communities
were barred.
We
have seen how our government reacted to the pandemic. You shake a head. Sometimes
you are amused but, most of the time, you swear at them with contempt. This
swirl of the pandemic in this country was caused, in the first place, by our
government’s negligence, ineptness and cowardice to tackle a problem called
China.
We
lost our advantage of isolation because of our government’s subservience to the
wishes of China! We are already suffering from their deadly experiment and yet
their nationals come and go as they please. Our local leaders are overruled by
those traitors in Malacañan. These people placed more care on Chinese nationals
than us Filipinos!
Because
they could do nothing against Chinese nationals, they locked us down against
our wishes. We complied with that when it is for the common good. In fact, I
encouraged people to follow safety protocols at all times; the wearing of
masks; the observance of physical distancing; personal hygiene like frequent
washing and self-isolation; and correct people who believed the pandemic is a
scam!
Adapting
to the pandemic, I added items that would keep me protected, as much as
possible, from infection: an elastic neck warmer with two medical masks as
backup; an alcohol-based spray disinfectant; and a hand tool for opening doors
and punching elevator keys. When the need arises, I wear a tinted “vanity” face
mask or a safety goggles. And, of course, frequent washing.
WUHAN
VIRUS. As much as people, government and media would like
to refer to this deadly virus as COVID-19, or novel corona virus, I would use “Wuhan
Virus”, because it starts from there in Wuhan, China. To remind people with
short memories, that the greatest pandemic of this decade came from there – CHINA.
Wuhan
Virus is a biological weapon manufactured in one of their secret laboratories.
It is meant to harm people and nations; to destroy their military and economic
capacity. China do not discriminate when it wages war. Civilians are still
active opposition and mouths to feed. We have seen how they committed genocide
in Tibet and on their own citizens in Tiananmen Square. It is a ruthless
country.
It
is so easy for them to impose their draconian measures against their own
population but we should never do that on our own. We are a nation of many
faiths, whose population are absorbed with their own spirituality. We know our
very own human rights and we know where we stand. It is against our rights then
when our own government exposes us to harm.
Opening
our borders with China for many months during the pandemic, despite a great
clamor, was a collective violation of our rights. So was converting public
schools into isolation centers for people suspected of Wuhan Virus infections –
a PUI or person under investigation. These schools are in close proximity to
thickly-populated neighborhoods where aerosols could go over barriers and
distance.
Every
cadaver were treated as a PUI even when each have died of natural causes and
accidents. When your own dead loved one is a PUI, the dead must be buried
within 24 hours, foregoing the usual wakes and other rites reserved as respect
for the dead. People suffering from simple ailments would never go to a
hospital, afraid of being treated as a PUI, and would rather self-isolate and
inhale steam.
This
Wuhan Virus is not to be taken lightly even if the lockdowns have been eased a
little. There are so many contrasting stories circulating, about its origins
and that it begins to be a scam engineered, allegedly, by wealthy individuals
and big pharmaceutical companies. These stories only make you more susceptible
to infection because you would drop your guard. It is propaganda; most likely,
of Chinese origins and funding.
APOCALYPSIS.
People still could not comprehend that what we are facing against is not that so
complicated. We just have to observe the protocols to the heart and rid of the
old habits for a while. It is all about hygiene and human contact since
infection is a two-way affair. Distance, hygiene and isolation plays a better
part in this pandemic.
I
value my personal freedom but it is not about me this time. I may even not know
that I am an asymptomatic carrier and that what counts. I hate this herd
mentality but I could blend, adapt and improvise so I could retain and enjoy my
individuality. Never ever consider it defiance against the protocol but, a
defiance instead against Wuhan virus and the general stupidity prevailing.
My
preferences are different than what is required. You desired the disposable
mask but I liked better the elastic neck warmer, folded twice, to make my
breathing difficult. If I suffered from lack of oxygen, how much more with floating
aerosols? I washed it and use it again as against piling or disposing unsafe
garbage.
Then
the government task force imposed the face shield on transportation and that is
alright even though it is very cumbersome and has very little protection against
this virus. A safety goggles is much better but I compromised and bought a
tinted “vanity” face shield where I could use it as an alternative to my now
obsolete Ray-Ban Wayfarer.
A
certain bus company, however, would not allow me a seat with that. They insist
with that flimsy acetate face shield which people placed over their heads
instead of shielding the faces. If 40 passengers have this type, I am quite
sure only 4 or 5 are wearing it properly. I am at a loss really if it is really
safe against infection if placed over the head as against mine worn properly?
The
department stores instantly became “transportations” when they insist a face
shield upon entry. That is alright for as long as they do not discriminate my
vanity face shield. People do not properly wear it anyway when shopping while
mine is. The only problem with face shields in walled establishments is that it
adds to the stuffiness of the air you breathe.
Another
of my preference was folding my quarantine pass eight times and place it in a
pocket as against people who hanged it in front of their chests because a city
government employee said so. They looked funny as you meet them on the streets
with laminated A4-sized bondpapers on their front where a breeze would slap it
against their faces.
When
the filling up of contact-tracing forms became mandatory for all when entering
department stores, most stores just throw their social responsibilities away at
their customers by leaving them jostling for space to fill the forms. It was
like somebody was tossing paper bills on a crowd. Only Gaisano Main has imposed
a good system.
=> => => o0o <= <= <=
FEAR
WOULD MAKE YOU respect death. I walked with trepidity, giving a wide berth to
people; refusing to be part of a crowd and the long lines of panic buyers. Frequent
washing of hands are observed in my household. While all rejoice in downgrading
of the ECQ into a GCQ, my house remained in ECQ status as our defense mechanism.
New
habits developed as we adapt in a pandemic. You learn to shop online but once
the merchandise arrived, the packaging is washed, opened to examine the item,
and left it to settle for three days while I wash my hands again. Each time
coins and bills came into our possession from outside, we washed our hands.
During
the most severe lockdown, the thoroughfares were empty of cars and trucks.
There were almost no people. It was like 1972 again when a dictator proclaimed
martial law. The silence of the nights during the lockdown curfews was very
soothing despite the heat of the tropical summer. When heavy rains finally
arrived in May, I bathed fully naked outside because there were no people
around.
The
photos tell how I aged during the pandemic. The lockdown started so late
already, in March 22, 2020, but we are not out of the woods yet. The lack of
exercise left me with a pot belly. The stamina that I have nurtured for years
is gone. What I have now is a white beard and an equally white long hair.
Grown
my hair long since February of last year. It is my own silent protest of the
government’s handling of the pandemic. I will cut it short when all the clowns
are gone. It had been a long nightmare and the trauma of that comes every now
and then. I hope to see the last of these clowns in 2022. If not, the hair
stays long.
Photo
Nr 1 from BioWorld
Photo
Nr 2 from Inside Racing
Photo
Nr 3 from ABS CBN News
Photo
Nr 14 from Glen Pestaño
