Having reached this stage in my life when candies and lollipops, shoes and bags, and make-up and lipsticks fail to attract me anymore;  when political issues are nothing but ‘flavor of the month’; when people are obsessed with power, fame and material wealth, I find solace re-reading books stocked-up in my bookshelves at home.  It helps me overcome boredom and pain brought about by this pandemic.  Had I been a little younger, I would be strolling around  to find interesting stories I can write about people and places.  But the unseen enemy, COVID 19, kept me enslaved in the four corners of our residential compound.

Paraphrasing a line from the song in the movie “The Sound of Music”, how do we solve a problem like COVID 19?  It’s been five months since the government ordered a lockdown to combat the deadly virus coupled with a strict directive to wear face masks, frequent washing of hands and observing social distancing yet the contagion continues to thrive like a tenacious bacteria in your dirty kitchen floor.  The reason is obvious.  Instead of following to the letter the instructions given by the health authorities, many refused to obey and went on doing what they used to do prior to the pandemic – playing basketball, going on a drinking spree with friends, sneaking out of the barangay where they reside to participate in a “Tupada” and other prohibited activities.

Has the government been remiss of its duty to support the basic needs of the people?  I guess not!  Right at the outset of the pandemic, the President ordered all LGUs to provide food not only for the poorest of the poor but for  the middle class as well.  Check-points were set-up in  the main thoroughfare and in almost all intersections of cities to prevent the unnecessary entries of people from other localities.  Curfew, mass gatherings and liquor ban were imposed and such other activities that will endanger the public.  

In the City of San Pablo, Mayor Loreto “Amben” S. Amante exceeded the expectations of the people.  He personally attended to the needs of his constituents by distributing food packs, bottled water and by staying late in his office to see to it that everything is going on smoothly.  He even visited COVID-infected barangays.  With all his efforts and time spent during this pandemic, I could fairly say that he is at par with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto.

So how do we solve the problem like COVID-19?  I think there is no specific formula  because if there is, then there would  be lesser deaths in progressive countries like the U.S. and in Europe.  What we must do perhaps is to strictly follow the health protocols being required by the authorities while  waiting for the vaccine to  arrive and be administered in our community for free by the Department of Health. When this time comes, we can get rid of our face masks and face shields and the elderlies can start doing what they love to do like walking around the lake, attending church services, visiting friends  and relatives, having a haircut in their favorite parlor, etc. 

When everything is back to normal, I can go on a trip outside my home for a change, preferably on the beach or in a place where I can silently commune with nature and shout to my heart’s satisfaction, Goodbye COVID-19!