"Our woes are far from over. We take no comfort in what seem to be the government’s priorities."
As if our worries about the still-high daily cases of COVID-19 and the spread of the new Delta variant were not enough, here come other developments that would make the job more difficult, and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel more distant.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said it recorded the highest levels of sulfur dioxide from the restive Taal Volcano—22,628 tons a day, a number that is anomalously high. As of press time, some 26 strong and shallow volcanic earthquakes have been recorded; some of these quakes were reportedly accompanied by rumbling. Another explosion may be imminent.
Under ordinary circumstances, this threat would be serious enough. As of the latest count by the governor’s office Sunday, some 15,000 residents in nearby areas have fled their homes to seek shelter in evacuation centers. Managing such a number would already be a huge challenge for the local government.
With a still-raging pandemic, the situation is compounded many times over. Congestion among people in the shelters, coupled with disruption in livelihood and jobs, is bound to make more people vulnerable to sickness, poverty—and ultimately, desperation.
That the rainy season has begun to bring rain and flooding in various areas in the country could also quickly offset the very modest gains earned through our snail-paced vaccination rollout program.
Unfortunately, billions of pesos that could help vulnerable sectors through Bayanihan Law 2 remained unused and are now lost because of Congress’ failure to pass a law extending its validity. The law expired June 30. Had the President reminded lawmakers just how important an action is, the latter would have easily acted on the exhortation. After all, they have always shown how Mr. Duterte’s word is their priority.
Now we are regaled with the bitter exchange of words from those within the administration party, PDP Laban. We know elections are coming up and these personalities are preparing to ensure their victory against all odds, hurling allegations and challenges at each other. Could they not, at the very least, attempt to hide the fact that politics is not what is primarily on their minds? The cracks are showing and the rumblings are audible—but all these should remain secondary during emergency periods such as these.
As a result, the rest of us feel lost and left to our own devices, as always.
We console ourselves by focusing on individual, albeit disjointed, efforts of various offices, organizations and government units to do pockets of good things. And the elections that are 10 months away offer the perfect opportunity for us to remind these politicians that their power play has no place amid matters of real importance.
