New COVID-19 surge: Get infected or die of hunger

These are trying times for Metro Manila and its nearly 13 million population.

With new infections at more than 8,000 level, granular lockdowns and further mobility restrictions are increasing.

And here, the poor and working people are again greatly challenged. But this time, there will be no government subsidies such as the social amelioration program (SAP) of last year.

If we look at the numbers, an estimated 3.2 million Metro Manila residents or 23 percent are now hungry after being blocked/quarantined for a year. This number came from NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua who also said that about 506,000 NCR people are unemployed due to business closures including returning and displaced OFWS.

NEDA estimates that for each day of general community quarantine (GCQ), the economy of NCR and neighboring provinces loses P700 million. With strict protocols imposed beginning Monday for two weeks until Easter Sunday, total losses could balloon to more than P10 billion.

DOH has confirmed the proliferation of new COVID-19 variants in almost all NCR cities, and we are now the epicenter of this deadlier, more infectious virus surge, which experts say are either second or third wave. Of the record 8,109 new infections recorded on Monday, 4,103 or 50.5 percent are in Metro Manila, led by QC (956), Manila (587), Taguig (375), Makati (341) , Caloocan (264), Paranaque (209), Mandaluyong (208) and Pasay (208).

And the most dangerous fact is that 97.5 percent of new positives are all “asymptomatics”, whose age ranges from 20-49 years old, mostly of working age. This means they could be any Juan de la Cruz around us.

Current reproduction number is at 1.9 while positivity rate of tests is at 14.7 percent. This is why we see numerous government offices suspending work due to infections and lockdowns such as Camp Aguinaldo, the Senate, House of Representatives, DSWD, Department of Justice, Civil Service Commission and the Department of Agriculture.

Even horseracing at the Santa Ana Park was hit with almost 20 jockeys found COVID-19 positive, forcing the Philippine Racing Commission to cancel weekend and weekday races until March 29. Subsequent contact tracing subjected the families of these jockeys to RT-PCR test while other industry players, like horse trainers and grooms, are being tested.

On the other hand, Metro Manila’s hospital situation is now at HIGH RISK in terms of ICU bed occupancy with 70 percent now occupied, same while nearby Central Luzon and Calabarzon are now MODERATE (60 percent).

Should we be alarmed to the point of panicking? Definitely we should not.

What we need today is utmost cooperation from everybody. I just hope that grandstanding, blaming culture and negativism are sidelined in our people’s fight against the pandemic. Since last year, the government is following a comprehensive National plan against COVID-19 with the help of WHO and medical experts. More than ever, it is time for us to trust them.

Businessmen should help our people again

Around April last year, during the height of lockdowns, our various business conglomerates despite differences and personal interests donated P8.018 billion to help our countrymen. Project Ugnayan composed of 34 corporations gave P1.7 billion. Sen. Manny Pacquiao and his billionaire friend Jack Ma contributed P1.004 billion as the second biggest donor. National Grid Corporation which shelled P1 billion donation was third while San Miguel Corporation was fourth, donating P877 million.

Grocery gift certificates of P1,000 each were distributed to 1.5 million families,  helping almost 7.5 million individuals in the Greater Metro Manila area. This was distributed by the grassroots-based networks of Caritas-Manila, ABS-CBN, Jollibee and the Philippine Disaster Reliance Foundation.

This modern day-bayanihan and kapit-bisig unity by our businessmen are truly inspirational, garnering so much praise and gratitude from our citizens and government. I just hope they would do it again this year.