Cause of the Crisis
What is the reason for this crisis, the Covid 19 facing us
at the moment? It is because the virus carried by pangolins, have
been transferred to humans.
Whose fault is it? The commercial enterprises
that have captured and sold these pangolins.
Pangolins are in high demand for
Chinese traditional medicine in southern China and Vietnam because their scales
are believed to have medicinal properties. Their meat is also considered a
delicacy. .
Most experts agree that bats are a natural reservoir of
SARS-CoV-2, but an intermediate host was needed for it to jump from bats to
humans.
This evidence points to the pangolin (scaly,
anteater-like animals) as the most likely intermediate host for the new
coronavirus, but additional intermediate hosts could be possible, the
researchers say.
-wikipedia
"While initial speculation pointed to seafood, snakes and another bat-borne coronavirus from Yunnan province in southwestern China, researchers from Hong Kong, China and Australia have found that genetic sequences of the novel coronavirus in pangolins are 85.5% to 92.4% identical to the coronavirus currently infecting hundreds of thousands people. That means, before reaching humans, the virus was likely passed from bats to the pangolin, the most illegally traded animal in the world." -dw.com
THIS PANDEMIC SITUATION IS THE FAULT OF A WORLD
CAPITALISTIC ORDER WHERE CERTAIN BUSINESS PRACTICES HAVE CAUSED THE CORONA
VIRUS DISEASE OR COVID 19 TO ARISE.
EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF SEX, AGE, RACE, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, ECONOMIC
STATUS AND COLOR ARE AFFECTED.
HEALTH
AND FOUR COMPONENTS AFFECTED BY COVID 19
Actually the effects of the Corona Virus
Disease or Covid 19 are not just physical but also psychological.
Health has four components, as my studies show when I was developing a Health Literacy Program for Urban Poor Women of Tondo in the 90’s sponsored by the Laubach Literacy International. The components are: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. One component cannot be divorced from the other since the human body experiences total pain in case any dysfunction of one component or element arises.
Health has four components, as my studies show when I was developing a Health Literacy Program for Urban Poor Women of Tondo in the 90’s sponsored by the Laubach Literacy International. The components are: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual. One component cannot be divorced from the other since the human body experiences total pain in case any dysfunction of one component or element arises.
And so Covid-19 shows its physical
effects in terms of cough, colds, fever, diarrhea and many more. Emotionally,
the patient suffers from worries, nervousness, fears, especially of death. Mentally, the patient’s mind rotates around
thinking of where and how to feed the family when he or she is gone; in what manner will he or she die; of leaving no resources for the family; of financial ruin in general.
Spiritually, the patient becomes despondent and could question why God has
brought about this crisis or is there still a God that is supposed to be taking
care of us especially in times of need?
Affected Sectors, Especially Women
Most press conferences of
DOH only target those under investigation, monitoring and the dead. There is no
gender in the stories which is sad because women’s lives are highly important
in a family’s and society’s existence. Pronouncements of the effects of Covid
19 should also focus on how women are affected.
Women’s lives in the rural
areas must be known as to how they are affected by Covid 19. We know that with few choices in life,
, many women have had to endure unsatisfactory domestic or work conditions and feel
powerless at improving their families’ and their own health, much more so in
facing this disease.****
The way women are reacting to the current situation must be documented. The Philippine Commission on Women must make sure that government
pronouncements take women’s situation in grave consideration.
PAINS
CAUSED BY COVID 19
What are the effects of this crisis? Is it only economic?
No, it is also psychological. Seniors suffer from sleeplessness over the lack
of certainty of their future. They cannot roam about to ease their anxieties
and just have to rely on gadgets, if they have any, to take their mind away from the real problems
that the crisis has brought about.
And so the exclusion of the seniors, (just because there
are those who are receiving pensions), is cruel. Our not being benefitted by
amelioration budget is added pain to what we are currently suffering
from.
Why extract generosity (such as giving up the benefit) when psychological pain is present, though non-quantifiable? Mental, emotional, spiritual pains, not only physical, have extreme consequences to seniors
especially as most could be suffering from weak bodies, poor heart condition
and even of imminent death due to over worrying.
We are being made to be kind to those who are poor but
how about the officials who receive their salaries and their other emoluments
while performing their roles? How come
they are not being asked to give up whatever benefits they have now? Is this
not a form of class legislation? Luckily, some legislators have a sense of
responsibility and are giving up a portion of their annual salaries.
Amelioration
Now amelioration is being bandied about to benefit the victims of the Covid 19, such as the poor, the elderly and other disadvantaged sectors of society.
What is amelioration? It means "to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve: strategies to ameliorate negative effects on the environment."
Effects of Covid 19
Whoever said that the social amelioration program must discriminate?
Class
Legislation
So going back to the exclusion of pensioned
seniors, is this not a case of class legislation? Certain classes are being
discriminated against in favor of the indigent classes?
The Philippine Constitution
Our Constitution emphasizes that “No person shall be
deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law,
nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of
the laws.”
Equal protection of the laws. A phrase in the Fourteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution requires that states guarantee the
same rights, privileges, and protections to all citizens.*
Now, the
Bayanihan Act 11469 was passed last month. We ask, in its implementation, is
the government insuring that it is not committing Class legislation?
Class
legislation refers to legislation that applies to
certain persons or class of persons, either natural or
artificial, or to certain districts of territory or state.**
The Bayanihan Act states
thus:
[REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11469]
AN
ACT DECLARING THE EXISTENCE OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY ARISING FROM THE
CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) SITUATION AND A NATIONAL POLICY IN
CONNECTION THEREWITH, AND AUTHORIZING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE
PHILIPPINES FOR A LIMITED PERIOD AND SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS, TO EXERCISE
POWERS NECESSARY AND PROPER TO CARRY OUT THE DECLARED NATIONAL POLICY AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
Then it states its policy as in
Section 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has
greatly affected nations worldwide, including the Philippines, and has caused
and is continuing to cause loss of lives and disruption to the economy. Thus,
there is an urgent need to: (a) mitigate, if not contain, the transmission of
COVID-19; (b) immediately mobilize assistance in the provision of basic necessities
to families and individuals affected by the imposition of Community Quarantine,
especially indigents and their families; (c) undertake measures that will
prevent the overburdening of the healthcare system; (d) immediately and amply
provide healthcare, including medical tests and treatments, to COVID-19
patients, persons under investigation (PUIs), or persons under monitoring
(PUMs); (e) undertake a program for recovery and rehabilitation, including a
social amelioration program and provision of safety nets to all affected
sectors; (f) ensure that there is sufficient, adequate and readily available
funding to undertake the foregoing; (g) partner with the private sector and
other stakeholders to deliver these measures and programs quickly and efficiently;
and (h) promote and protect the interests of all Filipinos in these challenging
times. By reason thereof, and in order to optimize the efforts of the President
to carry out the tasks needed to implement the aforementioned policy, it is
imperative to grant him authority subject to such limitations as hereinafter
provided.
In policy (b) it states that “ (urgent needs require immediate mobilization of) assistance in the provision of basic necessities
to families and individuals affected by the imposition of Community Quarantine,
especially indigents and their families…” This is a recognition that everyone
is affected. It does not state that indigents and their families are the only
ones to be assisted. The government just
has to insure that indigents and their families are given attention but not to
the exclusion of other sectors.
Social
Amelioration - Distortion of Meaning
The Bayanihan Act, moreover specifically states that: “…(an urgent need requires) a social
amelioration program and provision of safety nets to all affected sectors; (and)
(f) (the need to) ensure that there is sufficient, adequate and readily available funding to
undertake the foregoing....).”
However recent pronouncements from the government spokespersons
are alienating certain groups of people especially the elderly who are
receiving pensions and denying them from enjoying benefits arising from the social
amelioration budgets. Moreover the DSWD is speaking of families who will
benefit from the program. How about individual elderlies who do not have
families?
Is there class legislation
when it comes to providing social amelioration?
THIS PANDEMIC SITUATION IS THE FAULT OF A WORLD
CAPITALISTIC ORDER WHERE CERTAIN BUSINESS PRACTICES HAVE CAUSED THE CORONA
VIRUS DISEASE OR COVID 19 TO ARISE.
EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF SEX, AGE, RACE, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, ECONOMIC STATUS AND COLOR ARE AFFECTED.
EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF SEX, AGE, RACE, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, ECONOMIC STATUS AND COLOR ARE AFFECTED.
Newer press presentations say that the DSWD will select those who will receive monetary compensation. Only indigent families shall receive compensation.
Compensation is meant to be paid monies to ease the pains of the affected sectors of our society.
Why Dictate on Some Sectors especially Pensioned Seniors
How they are Supposed to Spend their Share of the Amelioration Budget?
Why, there are seniors who
could choose to share their wealth to the needy. The government need not meddle
into nor dictate how they will use their resources at this time. The point is
that everyone must have access to the social amelioration budget because we are
all equally affected by the health crisis.
The State is committing a
crime when it chooses to select those who will receive benefits from a pandemic
crisis.
Societies arise because of
people who share common histories, customs and traditions. And when crises
arise, such as the Covid 19, then we are brought into a situation where we, together
with everyone else, all share the burden of suffering through and seeking
solutions to this health crisis.
The State is not an
innocent entity that can dictate how to use the resources culled from the
people’s taxes. Its laws and acts must insure that everyone benefits
without unequal treatments.
Folks, let us be
vigilant to every act of the government especially where our lives, peace of mind,
and health are in danger.
Notes:
*The Amelioration Act 1798[1] (sometimes referred to as the Melioration
Act or the Slavery Amelioration Act) was a statute passed by the Leeward Islands to
improve the conditions of slaves in the British Caribbean colonies.
It introduced financial compensation for slaves, and
therefore penalties for owners, for instances of cruelty or serious neglect.
The Act is most often noted for its
provisions for financial penalties for inflicting cruel and unusual punishments on
slaves. It also made provisions for basic entitlements of slaves to clothes,
food and rudimentary education.- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelioration_Act_1798
** Class
legislation violates equal
protection guaranteed through the fourteenth amendment of the U.S.
Constitution. Our own Constitution guarantees equal protection for all, equality
of all persons before the law.
*** Now, there are women who live in the mountains and rural
areas unreachable through hazardous if not difficult transportation. My
assistant, Angela has to migrate to Manila in order to find work beside her
husband. When she rides home from Manila to Tuguegarao, she takes a bus for 10
hours paying (fare of P1,200); then another 3 hours ride on a jeep from
Tuguegarao to Aparri (P250); from Aparri
to centro van in thirty minutes (P50); 40 minutes walking up to the mountains
of Binalan, Aparri.
So this is one reality of life in the
Philippines where the rural areas are hardly accessible to people and women are
part of that scene. Angela talks of her grandmother who recently died at 96
years and who had managed to live there in Binalan for almost as century.
The life of Angela’s grandmother can be said
to be replicated everywhere else in our country.
****“Women
are susceptible to health problems and hazards because of their roles as
home-managers, economic providers, and their role in reproduction. The
reproductive system of pregnant women is especially vulnerable to environmental
contaminants. Every step in the reproductive process can be altered by toxic
substances in the environment. These toxic substances may increase the risk of
abortion, birth defects, fetal growth retardation, and peri-natal death.”
https://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/19/environmental-degradations-heavy-toll-on-women-and-children/
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