After almost half a year of battling with this health crisis that rooted from Wuhan district in China, it has only been on July 21, 2020 when President Rordrigo Duterte came to realize that the disease, Covid19, brought about by the Novel Coronavirus should be of top priority.
The President: Perhaps Our Number One Problem Today Is Covid
How must the general populace feel about this?
Terrifying how the figures skyrocketed for the past months almost from three digits to 70,764 cases at the moment. With the ignorance towards this health menace, these numbers will continue to soar.
January is when this pandemic started to creep its way but only with little to no fear instilled among the citizens as never has it been foreseen that this predator is of thirst for a prey. And then, it kept on lurking hunting for a host, silently. Deadly but unseen. Victory came into its hands on February as the first death was confirmed outside the Chinese mainland.
It was from the Philippines.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-5134585
Tension started to build up. Many were advised to wear mask and sanitize. However, at this rate, classes still continue and people freely roam around.
March approached like an avalanche of atrocities. Cases grew even faster and despite the cry for early travel bans, closing of establishments, and urgent response, all of a sudden, blind and deaf men filled the government. It's as if nobody is listening.
This virus became the talk of the town.
As days passed, anxiety filled the bones of the aware as it has been discovered that this health predator is more than just coughs and sore throat. It has the capability to give you your last breath.
It was an unfamiliar scenario. Classes were abruptly ceased, everyone is advised to stay at home, everyone was wearing face mask, everyone was avoiding each other.
From March 15 to April 15 to April 30 to May, June until July, cases never stopped rising, people are suffering from hunger, people fight against each other for amelioration money, people questioned the government and so on. Chaotic, depressing and disappointing.
What has the government done?
Aside from a senator enjoying his luxury and privilege while his fellow countrymen suffer from poverty and lack of income source,
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/26/20/sarap-ng-buhay-bato-says-senate-web-sessions-more-efficient
the push to put into law the bill that received intense backlash from the people,
the shutting down of a telecom company,
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/world/asia/philippines-congress-media-duterte-abs-cbn.html
a secretary rejoicing after the failure to meet the ends of a prediction,
https://mb.com.ph/2020/06/30/we-beat-up-prediction-says-roque-as-ph-covid-cases-still-below-40000/
the desperate drive to pursue classes despite the incompetent health system, rising number of cases, the lack of funding and monetary support for the underprivileged learners that now ask for donations at various platforms just to buy equipment for online learning , and the 16 deaths seen as a blessing as the pandemic affects children the least,
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1309861/face-to-face-classes-children-need-human-interaction-deped
and the continuous spike of loan that reached trillion,
https://www.cnn.ph/business/2020/6/30/PH-debt-nearing-9-trillion-May-2020.html
sure, a lot has been done...
to put this country into great misery.
Whatever has been done for the benefit of the county and its people is commendable. However, every criticism, failure and shortcomings are not supposed to be overlooked but given solution.
One thing that these politicians and people in authority might've forgotten is how the government functions. They must be there to represent not resent the people.
For how long must the the Filipinos suffer?
There is no perfect government nor a perfect country. Yet, it doesn't mean we settle for less.
-haru
If only the covid was contained earlier before it spread our life was still normal like vietnam. Reactions and preventions were late but then let us remember our leaders are humans commit mistakes and they tried what they can do for the country.