Question without prejudice

(Part of an ongoing account started on March 13, 2020 of how the spread of COVID-19 in our country and our government’s response has affected our lives.)

I did not stay up to watch President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement which aired at 1 a.m. today. I have decided that I would rather read what he has to say via news reports that focus on what needs to be disseminated. He tends to ad lib and it just stresses me out.

But I will stay tuned to updates from his office because this much I will give him, he understands the importance of flattening the corona virus curve in a country unprepared in terms of equipment, facilities and expertise.

Duterte has also paved the way for leaders on the ground, who know their constituents best, to make decisions that will ensure their survival through this period.

It took me a while to understand why we have to be placed under enhanced community quarantine. I could not understand what “flattening the curve” means.

The idea of flattening the curve is to stagger the number of new cases over a longer period, so that people have better access to care.¹

In restricting the travel of people, the movement of goods and the provision of services to the essentials, Duterte is trying to cut transmission and to contain the virus as soon and as much as possible because there is no known vaccine against COVID-19. 

We simply do not have enough testing kits, hospitals and health personnel, should there be a sudden and dramatic increase in the number of the affected who will seek and need treatment.

But in prioritizing health over economy (many would argue that both are interrelated), Duterte should have prepared his leaders down the line so that the tricycle driver, the construction worker, the stay-out domestic and labandera, promo girls and merchandisers, ambulant food vendors and all other daily wage earners are protected and fed.

Right now, mayors are scrambling to address the problems in their localities while complying with the operational guidelines of the lockdown, which took a while to materialize. But once those guidelines were drafted, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF-EID)  has been monitoring what is happening on the ground and making the necessary modifications and additions to the guidelines on a daily basis.

Now, it is up to the mayors to implement the guidelines as best as they can within their localities while taking care of those displaced economically, particularly the daily wage earners. 

Some of these leaders shine like Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Others? Well, I like to think that no news (particularly complaints) is good news. Just because they do not make the news does not mean they are not working.

Let me get to my point. Let’s be critical but kind. Better still, develop the ability to question without prejudice.

Stay tuned to credible news sources so that you know what’s happening and how it affects you. I try to catch the daily press cons held by the IATF-EID over PTV and the news reports aired, published and posted by credible traditional and online media.

There is no avoiding FB and Twitter so be discerning of what you read and hear. Be a responsible citizen also on social media. If you can check their accuracy, do so before sharing and forwarding posts on your feed.

If you must re-post, share what is true, useful and relevant. Try to be a positive contributor to the flow of information. There are people who get exasperated by prayers and prayer chains on FB, but let it be – these posts don’t really hurt anyone and may even help some people who seek comfort during this trying time.

Avoid grandstanding - making impassioned statements or general accusations that are not really directed at anyone, but read by everyone. If you really want to air a grievance or have something done, take the time to reach the person or agency who can do something about it. These days, everyone and every office usually has an FB or Twitter account or even a website where they can be reached.

DoH update: As of this writing, the Philippines has reported 230 confirmed corona virus cases, including 8 recoveries and 18 deaths.

¹ Sam Meredith, “Flattening the coronavirus curve: What this means and why it matters”,  March 19, 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/coronavirus-what-does-flattening-the-curve-mean-and-why-it-matters.html