Here we go again. The latest announcement from Malacanang must have thrown cold water to our hopes that the year 2021 will be better for Filipinos compared to last year. According to press reports, “the Philippines banned cross-border travel and all mass gatherings in Metro Manila and surrounding provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal, as the country sees a COVID-19 surge especially in the capital region. These guidelines take effect from March 22 to April 4, unless lifted or extended by President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte approved these new restrictions as recommended by the government’s coronavirus task force, said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday, March 21.”
The stoppage of transportation to and from Metro Manila would mean that the estimated one million workers from outside the National Capital Region (NCR) who commute to the metropolis to work or to do business would be out of work or on forced layoff for the next two weeks. Moreover, the flow of goods and food to the NCR would also be restricted or slowed down as police and military checkpoints would be in force to impose the GCQ (general community quarantine) at all roads leading to Metro Manila. There is also the matter of Metro Manila residents who commute daily to work or to meetings, appointments, etc. who number in their millions who would be finding themselves bereft of public transportation as their companies or factories have required them to report for work or lose their income if not their jobs, altogether.
It would be very hard for many of our compatriots to face this round of lockdown once again. The financial support from the series of Bayanihan grants have run out and people are left basically to fend for themselves the economic consequences of the COVID19 virus which the national government has failed to take control of after all more than a year. Which goes to show that the pandemic has to be the number one problem that the nation faces requiring timely and adequate response and yet judging from the current situation, our decision-makers have failed, and all of us, the Filipino people, have to bear the consequences of their failure.
Compared to a year ago, there is more reason to be fearful and for everyone to be more extra careful about the COVID19 virus. According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a recent briefing, the variants of the virus are now in all cities here in Metro Manila. “That is factual,” she said. “In all of the cities, we have either the UK variant or the South Africa variant. Also, in other cities, they have both UK variant and South Africa variant.” Vergeire said the variants helped drive the fresh surge in COVID-19 cases but stressed that poor compliance with health protocols was the “root cause.” The Philippines has so far detected the B.1.1.7 (UK variant) in 223 cases, the B.1.351 (South Africa variant) in 152 cases, and the P.1 (Brazil variant) in one case. The variants possess mutations that are linked to either increased transmissibility or immune escape, which can lead to lowered vaccine efficacy.
The ready excuse that DOH has put out with regards to people’s behavior as the cause of the new pandemic surge is hard to accept because it covers up for what responsibility the DOH and all the instrumentalities of government ought to have done – but didn’t – to control the spread of infections. First is the issue of adequate testing which is meant to identify and isolate those who are infected right at our country’s borders or in the community itself. It has been more than a year but our testing numbers are far from sufficient given our population and the vast numbers of our people, particularly OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) whose movements would be impossible to control.
Then there is the issue of vaccines which most Southeast Asian countries are rolling out but which remains a mystery for Filipinos as to who, what, when and where vaccinations are taking place in the Philippines. It seems that the government is embarrassed for the public to know the full story of vaccines for COVID19? Meanwhile, groups and key Senators have been clamoring for the DOH to allow private companies to import the vaccine as it is these companies who have to bear the costs of their employees being absent from work or incapacitated by the disease. The government response to this is simply to fall back on their past answer that “vaccines and ancillary supplies (can be acquired only) through negotiated procurement under emergency cases as defined in Republic Act (RA) 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.” And that’s the bureaucratic reply that has bedeviled people like you and me; as if we are not in a national emergency situation and that our authorities have to act now or more people will die or suffer in the process.