By now, on a fine Sunday, things may have somewhat simmered down on the ECQ front, especially as it pertains to Baguio. All week through, we’ve been harboring robust hope that by end of April, we should already be prepping up for vital moves to prop things up a bit more enroute to steady back to normality situation. But all these are now water under the bridge, as we’re viewed at the national level of estimation to remain under ECQ. Well, well.
From a broader perspective, it may have provided us enough time — a two weeks’ reprieve shouldn’t be much of a longer wait — to precisely and purposely make certain that we are absolutely ready to go into what others have already been forecasting as a new normal kind of normality. This may well have been the national concern that might have prompted an extended lockdown restriction to 3 regions and several provinces (including Baguio). Too soon for too early a re-opening of sorts.
The vigil exerted over our own day-to-daytally may have been a compelling consideration. Admittedly, the numbers have been on a declining trend. As of April 22, the fatality count hereabouts has remained stagnant at a solitary figure, just one in a population of 370,000. Just one. Too, of 18 confirmed infection cases, 12 have recovered, while a measly 5 remains active. Testyed as negative of the disease stands at 766, while only 17 are listed as probable. Of suspected cases, 177 are active, but recovered is way up at 305.
Indeed, these are statistical revelations that to any layman should signify Baguio is comparatively pristine and pure as compared with other highly urbanized localities down under, the metro area.
So, why the added 2 more weeks under ECQ? Why 15 more days of prolonging the day-to-day burden inflicted by the pandemic situation to an already distressed population — the irretrievable losses, mounting as these are, to an economy already wobbling on bruised knees, to a working population that has been prevented from work opportunities, simply because the jobs they were forced to abandon, admittedly against their will, remains shuttered and even possibly lost?
Rather than mire ourselves in mindless specualtion, rather than feel deprived of getting into the easing up opportunities now ushered in by a less harsher stage of quarantine condition — it’s now termed as General Community Quarantine — it may just be prudent to understanding that the time may not have sufficed, just as yet, to downgrade the restrictions precipitated, in the very first place, by a pandemic that has remained menacingly now and here. The threat may have somewhat slowed down in its peril-laden onslaught, but the threat stays potent and fierce, wreaking continued havoc to whoever in ways more than considered.
There is however a pre-set condition for places (like ours) to get into GCQ earlier than May 15. Baguio is lined up for review between last Friday till April 30 and should the declining numbers stay steadily on the southside, our city may qualify for the ECQ restrictions to be lifted. That should raise our hopes up to keep the numbers down. Just a matter of time indeed.
To be sure, the two-week countdown will get everyone, most of all city authorities frontlined by Mayor Benjie to persevere in their dominant resolve to keep everyone out of harm’s way, admittedly a challenge that rages day-by-day. As reiterated, it is fear, more than hope, that has kept the declining numbers maintain the downward mark. Fear has been the reason why we’ve stayed generally compliant. Fear has made us protect ourselves from the lethal virus ever finding host in our frail body to thrive and be a source of infecting others — our loved ones, our neighbors, and fellow humans just as scared as us of the affliction.
To this day, the struggle in us to prevail persists, even as deep anxiety gets written in our face. By and large, we may have critically averted the onslaught rush by fear-induced obedience to health precautionary and safety measures put in place early on. Three weeks into that struggle, small successes may have been won, chiefly because we were just stiff-scared of getting the dreaded virus. There never should be any letup in scoring well in this struggle, never letting our guard down as a result of wrongly induced sunshine successes. These may not have been crowning victories, but triumphs we’d take any time.
Calm, collected, and confident — this is how we can sustain present-day small triumps going into the next half month. Amid the continuing turbulence we face, let us continue to remain on a thinking ahead mode, planning well into the near future of eventualities that may just be in a matter of days. Selective, localized quarantine? Why not? Given the damage inflicted into our way of life, decidedly now fully restrained to marooned levels, there should be time apportioned for the hereafter, shouldn’t it? Given the escalating loss of opportunities — jobs, business, supply of vital needs —- why not indeed?
The Baguio Tourism Council (which I happen to head) is in that kind of a pro-active modality, readying how best to adapt on a slow,steady re-opening when finally Baguio gets the go-ahead signal. In our second teleconference last Friday, there was consensus to proceed as planned out, the steps to be taken, and the strategies underlying a given phase of localized quarantine. The added two weeks will surely provide opportunities to further fine-tune the key measures to abide by so that every sector, every level of competence, every quality of effort are in total harmony with local and national admonitions.
To be sure, there are sensible reasons supporting such a parallel effort to put our economic needs back to even secondary importance. Job losses are hitting and hurting people without respect to social and economic standing. The wealthy may be getting it in the chin, but those without any respectful means to begin with are hit harder, are suffering through and through.
At day’s end, it should always be what is the greatest good for the greatest number, foremost of which is to be mindful of public risk to everyone — the hard worker, the hard-nosed entrepreneur among others. All this time, we listened, we complied and we obeyed and we accepted every single effort to keep us out of risk every step of the way. All for the greater good.
We should finally realize that opportunities for growth need to be made available anew, not just to retrieve what had been lost, but to create new pathways down the road the city must take. No matter what, an economy so badly hit deserves no less thann convalescence of some kind, principally instigated by government initiative as led by a listening, heedful, and quick-acting leadership that our Mayor Benjie has admirably exemplified. In this effort, he is in command. Towards a well-defined goal, sought to be achieved by technology-aided strategic solutions, he manifests confidence built up from many exacting years of deeply honed skills, most especially in dealing with crisis upon crisis.
We’re all for the headstart to give our floundering economy the strategic push. We just have to get ourselves fully and ably prepped up to bounce back and re-grow. Slowly but steadily, this ought to be the quality and pace of forthcoming efforts. Not less, but more.
Our business and labor sectors need all the helping out measures by all means possible, ensuring that no one will be deprived and denied just as much as government does to the menacing virus. Again, in parallel to or conformity with the very essential healthy and safety measures put in place in the very first place and without letup any time at all.
Together, we remain as One, capably striving as One, meaningfully healing as One. This is the best time to manifest before everyone that when the going gets tough, only the tough gets going. That’s us — you and I and the rest of us.
