Perceived Hate

It’s no secret that there’s been an ongoing tension between China and the Philippines over many, many issues. Most are about territorial disputes and supposed abuses of Chinese nationals here in the Philippines.

Now that the confirmed incidents of the Coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China is growing rapidly globally, many are concerned about the possibility of it spreading in the country.

The total number of nCov cases already exceeded that of SARS back in 2003. Some are calling a total ban of ALL flights coming from China for a limited time until the situation is contained. They believe that it’s the most prudent thing to do to avoid a possible outbreak.

A few, however, think that this move is rather harsh and some even used words like “Xenophobia” to describe such actions.

But is protecting our territory, this time over a possible epidemic, still be considered Xenophobia? Was this just mere hate and dislike of Chinese people in general?

The White House has already expressed the possibility of suspending all China-to-US flights over the outbreak. South Korea and Singapore are also calling in a similar petition. Mongolia had closed its borders. Can we ask for the same or will it be premature?

The reason why this is alarming is the fact that even developed countries with strict border and infection control like Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the US have confirmed cases already. This makes me worry about our country’s epidemic preparedness as we are not capable of handling a medical crisis of the same proportion.

I know we still don’t have any confirmed cases as of now—thankfully—and the Department of Health has just assured the public that our security has been intensified. But we have to remember we are dealing with a mutating virus that can have an incubation period of up to 2 weeks. Meaning, a carrier may be able to enter the country undetected by thermal scanners and would only show signs and symptoms after many days of interaction with other people.

A DOH rep even said that there is no reason to use face masks as a precaution because we have no circulating Coronavirus case yet. This contradicts earlier call by the same agency to wear face masks.

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It’s hard to talk about restrictions without having other people think of it as somewhat “political”. President Duterte has always been seen as a “friend” of China as he’s extra lax when it comes to the territorial disputes and other issues (like undocumented Chinese nationals working here). Duterte supporters somehow mirrored the same partiality towards them, that speaking against Chinese or China, in general—makes you a critic of the administration.

DOH just stated that putting a travel ban would sever diplomatic and political ties with China. The president is also not keen on imposing restrictions as we have to “respect their freedom flights”, he said.

The Bureau of Immigration has stopped issuing VUAs (Visa Upon Arrival) to Chinese nationals. This means that if a Chinese national would like to enter our country, they will need to secure an entry visa from their foreign posts.

At the moment, all we can do is pray that this will be enough to control the virus from entering the country.

(Update: As of late afternoon of 1/30/2020, DOH has confirmed a 38-year old Chinese woman from Wuhan, China positive for the coronavirus. The first case for the Philippines. Contact-tracing is now being done as the woman traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete after she arrived last week.)

(Another Update: As of 2/2/2020, the first and so far the only case of n-Cov death outside mainland China is in the Philippines. President Duterte has already widened the travel ban to all of mainland China, including Hong Kong and Macau.)

A Rough Start

Most of us welcomed 2020 with hope and positivity; we all wish it will be better than the years before in many ways.

The first month of the year was eventful, but not in a good way. So many things had happened in a span of days, with one crisis overlapping another: The worst leg of the Australian fires, the Iran-US conflict, Taal Volcano eruption, the 2019-nCoV, a deadly earthquake in Turkey, and the tragic death of the basketball legend from a helicopter crash.

While the gravity of these issues varies depending on the person who hears it, we can all agree that none of it was a good way to start the year.

This is the very reason why many people felt that January is a long month. For most of us, the beginning of the year simply sucks.

Early this month, World War III became a trending topic on Twitter after a US airstrike killed an Iranian General. Iran vows retaliation and attacked the US forces in Iraq that many think it’ll soon escalate to nuclear warfare. I don’t know the state of it at the moment—if the tension simmered down, or if one or both countries stepped down, or if it was only eclipsed by other news—whatever the reason, there’s no denying that the possibility of serious conflict is hovering us.

It’s also depressing to see that even if the Alert Level for Taal volcano has now been lowered to 3, the reality that most of our kababayans in the affected areas are going to start over from almost nothing breaks my heart. Even if the alert is down, the threat remains. The toughest part of it all is that no one knows how long will people suffer such uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus is not something we should take lightly as the worldwide death toll is rising fast.

I stocked up on face masks and alcohol; I don’t recall ever being this OC even during the flu season. I now avoid touching restroom doorknobs, escalator handrails or elevator buttons and stay away from crowded areas as much as possible. These measures are being done because I’m scared of what I’d bring home after a long day outside, more than what it can actually do to me.

Just last night, the Department of Health confirmed one of the hospitals in Pasay as having admitted a “person under observation” of the disease. It may not be a confirmed case yet (still no nCov case in the Philippines as of this writing) but it’s alarming, nonetheless. Remember that the virus has an incubation period, so with bated breaths, we wait.

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Even if you wanted to be optimistic despite it all, there is still that considerable anxiety. Personally, it’s hard to watch the news and read social media posts these days not just because of these issues but more of how some people react to it. Like I’m shocked at the audacity of some to make every issue political. Seriously, social issues in itself are already complex, so people should just stop bickering over it.

Then there’s some who just enjoy bringing people down. I call it habitual skeptics, people who would oppose something because they thrive on angry responses.

I have this FB friend who expressed his irritation at how suddenly people became Kobe fans after his death, suggesting most are mere bandwagoners. Whether this is true or not, we don’t need such negativity anymore so why can’t he just let other people be? Besides, one doesn’t have to be a fan to mourn or feel bad over the death of some celebrity.

(Would you believe that people on the internet are fighting over the right way of wearing a surgical mask?)

Seriously, we don’t need this anymore.

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Thankfully, the month is about to end, and I have to admit that I can’t wait to tear January off the 2020 calendar. With fingers crossed, I pray things will get better not just for myself, but for everybody. We might have experienced a rough start but let us not lose hope in the fact that after the bad comes the good.

I guess we should just have to keep the faith.

Let's hope it won't.

From Google Earth

My city is approximately 50 miles north of Taal volcano. For now, at least, we’re pretty much at a safe distance from the second most active volcano in the Philippines.

The eruption that started last Sunday, January 12, has been all over local and foreign news for days now. Why would it not? — In just a matter of five hours since the initial phreatic eruption, PHILVOCS raised the alert status to Alert Level 4 which means Hazardous Eruption Imminent. Ashfall reached as far as Metro Manila and Pampanga, which resulted in panic-buying (and later a shortage) of face masks.

Filipinos are used to calamities that yearly besiege the country such as typhoon and flooding, but a strong volcanic eruption is a different story. For us living in the island of Luzon, we haven’t had such since Mt. Pinatubo in the early 90s (which I remember vividly).

I stayed home all day last Sunday and with bated breath monitored the events as it unfolds. Ashfall can be seen on windows, cars and on the ground and there was that distinct, choking smell of sulfur in the air.

Many schools and offices were closed the next day, and all flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were canceled. 

Residents within the low-lying 14-kilometer “danger zone”, were asked to evacuate to nearby towns. State of Calamity has been declared in the entire province of Cavite and Batangas as ashfall and tremors continue. Tagaytay, a busy town where locals and tourists alike would flock to at this time of the year, was also affected. Many in the affected areas have no supply of water and electricity.

Days after, many desperate residents have ignored the appeals to evacuate and are trying to go back to their homes to salvage what they can. Some returned for their pets and livestock even with the total lockdown.

While the volcano has been eerily quiet for days now, it still remains on Alert Level 4. PHILVOCS expressed concerns on the appearance of ground fissures/cracking in towns of Agoncillo, Talisay, and Lemery, as they said that this is a sign that magma is rising and pushing the ground up. The latest drone pictures show Taal’s lake inside the crater had already vaporized.

Experts say that calmness can be deceptive, and the potential threat should not be ignored. Worst-case scenarios can be anything from tsunami (may happen if part of the volcano collapsed to the lake) to high clouds of hot ash that can pollute water and air. It can also affect livelihood and damage infrastructure.

Bayanihan is a commendable trait of many Filipinos and almost everyone is trying to step-up in any way they can. Many people are helping out with the relief operations for the affected communities by donating cash and goods. Philippine Red Cross is accepting towels, N-95 face masks, bottled waters, blanket, cup noodles, old clothes, etc.

There’s a great possibility that a major seismic event would happen sometime in the future. The Philippines is located right smack in the Pacific Ring of Fire where the worst earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

If worse comes to worst, even if we’re way outside the “danger zone”, heavy ashfall is a potential health risk.

My biggest concern if this ever happens is the senior and little kids at home. My younger nephew has pneumonitis which means that he is more at risk from respiratory illnesses.  The sudden ashfall last Monday, while not as thick as those that were experienced in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna—already caused enough disruption and panic. Up to now, even if Metro Manila has been cleared from ashfall (due to the change of wind direction) and experts say that the level is good, I continue to doubt our air quality. I still don’t go outside unless I’m wearing my face mask.

I know this is nothing compared to what other people are experiencing right now, which is why I hope that we have already seen the worst. Let’s pray it won’t progress to that destructive eruption we all fear. Our country has enough problems already and we don’t need another calamity to test our resilience as a people.

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