A Few Questions

Last Thursday, in the middle of an online class, power suddenly cuts. Then it comes back after a few minutes. Class resumes. Within the time of that same class, power once again cuts. It once again restores, bringing back the class to order. That was just a one-hour class. Two power interruptions in just one hour. On that same day, through the night, electricity turned off then on again for some minutes, for four times. Incidents like this have become common in a day. What’s with our power supply? Now, what puzzles me even more is that our local electric cooperative have made a habit of staging announced day long power suspensions. The consumers are supposed to believe that these sometimes weekly electricity droughts are for maintenance of lines, for safety, for more efficient service. Then why after those numerous supposed maintenance procedures which should make the power supply more efficient, free of interruptions, does electricity fall short of expected smooth supply? Why is it that after typhoons, we sit and wait for power resumption, for lines to be repaired, for fallen posts to be resurrected for transmission, when they should have been fortified because they were maintained with almost weekly power suspensions? In case, you have been brainwashed to accepting that this sort of thing is normal. No. This should not be acknowledged and embraced as part of our culture. Power supply should not have interruptions, just as water supply should not run out, food should not be scarce, your clothes should not be torn and tattered, or the roof and walls should not be falling apart. We have already scratched near the first quarter of the 21st century; and public utilities are still at this level. Now, after those fluctuations, our refrigerator is making some weird noises.

I have told about this certain person who was sent home by the company doctor because he/she has exhibited Covid-19 symptoms. He/she was made to stay home. He/she was asked of her contacts, supposedly to be traced. I suppose the company, whoever is assigned to do it, reported this incident to the LGU for them to take appropriate measures. I was expecting that something like this would warrant an alarmed quick response to ensure the person’s in question well-being and the prevention of potential further infection. Oh no, this suspected case of a person had to wait for somewhere around two to three days for a test. After some days, he/she got tested. No, he/she was not accommodated by personnel in PPE who took her on a government vehicle to protect the person and the people he/she may come in contact with. The person with suspected Covid personally to the authorities to have himself/herself tested. Well, as far as I know, this person does not have his/her private vehicle. So in all probability, he/she may have taken a ride on a jeepney in which passengers are isolated apart by thin sheets of plastic, and in which physical contact with other passengers would be inevitable because one or more of them would touch other passengers upon loading or unloading. Yes, a person with fever, sore throat, having smell and taste problems, thrust himself/herself in the throng of the public to have himself/herself tested. Well, maybe they were just busy. Definitely, she was taken care of on the way home. No, he/she still took public transport on the way home. What’s happening here?

On social media, the town I live in is reported to be “high risk”. Whoa! How could a small, unassuming town reach that level? Oh well, of course, the virus would not choose among people’s social differences. Okay, I’m ready for whatever is in store for a place declared to be on high risk. I’ve experienced walking under the midday sun, securing a pass, or having streets blocked. After all, we have to make sacrifices to have this crisis done with. I actually expected to be halted at the border and told to go home. But I thought to myself that I just had to finish some last tasks, then I would be ready to be on lockdown again. We’ve gone through it; we would be more prepared to go through it again. But aside from that social media post declaring municipalities’ and cities’ risk levels, the landscape and goings-about were “normal” or what we have been accustomed to as “normal”. Where are the barangay personnel ensuring that people outside their residences are out only for essential matters? Where are the cops blocking the border? Where are the health personnel disinfecting important places in the community?

Well, those are just a few questions.

“Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches,”

Proverbs 30:8