By Cong B. Corrales.
“The crow on the cradle, what can we do. Ah, this is a thing that I`ll leave up to you.” -- Sydney Bertram Carter, English poet, songwriter (May 6, 1915 – March 13, 2004)
CATACLYSMIC events always bring out the best and the worst in people. Cagayan de Oro residents are no exemption. My family has witnessed this during typhoon “Sendong.”
We have seen eateries, coffee shops, and at least one university pitching in to help the front liners in this desperate battle to contain the pandemic raging across the globe.
Even fraternities, sororities, civil society organizations have called on their members to donate what they can for the good of the many.
Here in our village, some residents took it upon themselves to disinfect the streets before the city started doing so regularly.
In the last two weeks of this month, Facebook has also been lit with criticisms on Mayor Oscar Moreno’s supposed inaction.
These people are harping on why Moreno is taking his sweet time in not putting the entire city under lockdown. In his daily briefings at the city hall, Moreno has repeatedly said that he could not afford to turn his back on the city’s neighboring local governments.
He has pointed out that the city the hub of Northern Mindanao and it hosts the regional offices of most of the national government agencies. More importantly, compared to its neighbors, it has the most number of tertiary hospitals in the region.
Still, the residents moaned. “Unsa pa diay ang hulatan ni mayor? Ayha ra mu lockdown kung daghan na matakdan?” These residents would rant on Facebook.
To this, the mayor replied that coronavirus would not distinguish a locality whether it is under a lockdown or a “mere” community quarantine.
Methinks the best contribution we can give the government this time is to heed its call to stay at home. Stay at home if you don’t have a transaction of import.
We have been essentially on lockdown. What do you call the closure of malls, bars, and resorts? What do you call the stringent curfew hours?
Earlier this month, I have posted on my Facebook wall that I will behave like I already have the virus. That way, I will be careful not to infect people. I stayed at home in the last week of this month because I have whooping cough.
I know it is just one of the symptoms but just to be sure, I opted not to cover the daily briefings at the city hall so as not to alarm my colleagues. I can just imagine the horror in their faces if I cough deliriously in the middle of the briefing with Dr. Jose Chan and Dr. Adriano Suba-an at the panel.
The daily briefings are also another thing. I have read a lot of comments on this paper’s news articles accusing Moreno of doing these daily updates for media mileage. You can call me naive on this one but how else will we know about the contagion without these daily briefings?
Personally, I’d rather hear the update from doctors like Chan, Suba-an, and Lorraine Nery than some cuckoo who thinks that egg, banana, and even garlic will cure this disease.
Another observation if you will permit me. These people who are calling for a city lockdown were the very same people who called out for blood when Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri ordered a prohibition of rice trading outside of his province.
As my editor-in-chief aptly pointed out on his Facebook wall: “I am confused. You want CDO to lockdown yet protest when Bukidnon does exactly what you want CDO to do?”
To all who are still calling for a lockdown, just read the title. Pfft
