What else could we change?

What’s with the heat nowadays? When PAGASA declared the start of the wet season, we have seemed to stop monitoring heat index levels. Yes, it did rain. It rained hard. It had rained torrentially for several times. But as soon as the rains stop, the intense heat quickly caves in. I feel like the heat is as intense as before, if not more so? At least, in the past month, the rains gave relief with some cooling effect. But recently, the thunderstorms seem to have had their break; and the heat and humidity seem to have found their field days to widen their scope and embrace the horizon like the plague. When they were a tag team with the storms, they instigated chain reactions of colds, coughs and absences. Now, where did I keep those face masks? Now on its solo performance, the heat doesn’t seem to mind all forms of electric fans. It pounces on you and sucks the strength and energy from your corporeal form that you are reduced to a frail vessel in need of rest at the end of the day. If you spend the whole day with air conditioning, I’m genuinely happy for you. It’s terrible. I’m even feeling itch on my arms and on my back that I had not experienced in the heatwave from March to May. What is this? Help us from the heat.

What is it with our weather? It’s either we have flood flushing, cold and cough causing heavy rains or blood pressure raising intense heat and humidity. Well, at least here in Bicol, the rains have not yet reached the level of causing floods that rise out of control to ravage whole communities. But then again, we swing from being drenched wet to a dry well, with much time spent on the dry end of the spectrum. Then, the power would go out all of a sudden. That’s another strike of whip on our weather stricken backs.

Maybe, there’s something we can do. This must be climate change. I remember typhoons being much stronger, back when they all had female nicknames. But, I don’t remember heat being this intense. We can’t do much about changing the climate back to its former state, if it really has changed. Maybe, there’s something we can do with our structures of shelter of concrete and wood that seem to transmit temperature and bake the inhabitants inside. When the traditional spinning blades of fans are rendered almost useless, we have to go for air conditioning. But would not that give a worse headache with the fluctuating power rates that hike from friendly low on one month to frantically high on the next? Then, there would be those day-long power outages. Apartment units can’t be running generator sets. Maybe, we can do something with work schedules. But, we’re too traditional to veer away from 8 to 5. Public transport would not be a problem if an employee goes to work or opens shop at 3 pm, but it would be difficult and dangerous to go home at 11 pm. But then again, don’t these same people stay out late for coffee or liquor on nights out. How are those different? Maybe, there’s something we could do with these clothes that we wear that remains to be our last hanging defense from this oppressive temperature. Why do we have to be in uniforms in the first place? Exclude the police. They really have to be recognized. But, the regular office staff or sales clerk could suffice with a simple name tag for identification. I don’t understand why these uniforms have to come with collars that heat up the neck area even more, and almost always are sewn in fabric that is too uncomfortable for the tropical climate. Aren’t Chinese collars more comfortable than the Western ones? Why do we all have to be in polo and slacks? Can’t we be in more comfortable shirts and loose denims? Now, that’s something feasible. It would just take some pinch of open-mindedness and willingness to change.

A week ago, the direction of one-way traffic on OcampoSt. That cuts through Camarines Sur National High School and between the two Naga Central Schools was flipped the other way around. Now, vehicles would enter from Penafrancia Ave. and exit to Jacob St. Initially, I thought that it wouldn’t make a difference; heavy traffic is still traffic. But, it seems to work. Traffic along Penafrancia seeme to flow more smoothly, without the disruption of the vehicles coming out from Ocampo. Yes, getting past MT Villanueva is still annoying, but that’s a step towards lighter road experience. It’s amazing how a little change could do. Now, what else could we change?

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9