Philippine Daily Inquirer/OPINION/Ma. Ceres P. Doyo
I always
have this nasty feeling that some agencies tasked to put order and safety in
our lives end up messing up if not making life difficult for us Filipinos. My
frequent refrain: Ang galing ninyo magpahirap
ng tao. (You are such experts in making life difficult for people.) That
said, let me ruminate.
Here in
Metro Manila earthquake drills had been held regularly in the past in
anticipation of the Big One that has yet to shake and rattle our lives but
which experts say is a matter of not if but when. These drills have now been
put aside because of other natural calamities that recently visited our lives,
some of them unprecedented and catching us ill-prepared.
And so this
once-in-a-hundred-years virus pandemic that has been running for one year all
over the world should no longer stun and petrify the likes of us. After almost
a year and more than 10,000 coronavirus-caused deaths in the Philippines, Filipinos
should have gotten the hang of it and continue to obsessively observe health
protocols. No, people are beginning to get lax and throwing caution to the wind
by cavorting with bare faces, despite the so-called new strain of the virus
crash landing on our shores.
With the imminent arrival of the vaccine, a new day is dawning, to use a cliché, but are we—the vaccinators, the willing vaccinees and those in charge of delivering the goods to our 7,000 or so humanly inhabited islands—prepared for the monumental process? Or will we be falling all over ourselves like we do whenever there are new processes that involve crowds and queues, novel systems that need smooth implementation, discipline and order? Do we have enough systems specialists (or whatever they are called) or chaos control experts?
Look at the
chaos that happened in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) when it was announced
that RFID compliance would be required, that is, no more cash payments in the
privately-run tollways. Valenzuela City where the traffic nightmare happened
got the mayor so riled up he had to step in and call out the tollway people.
I commend
the Ayala-run AutoSweep system (for SLEX etc.) for an orderly process. I got my
RFID sticker from the Ayala Mall at Cloverleaf in Quezon City. But for EasyTrip
(for NLEX etc.) I had to ask someone to please use my car and get my RFID
sticker from either the Balintawak or Tabang exit as I had yet no plan to drive
northward and how was I going to turn back? Irate motorists ask, why not one
RFID for both?
Remember the
requirement of a plastic barrier between two people (couples mostly) riding in
tandem on motorcycles? That was to prevent the virus from being passed on from rider
to back rider or vice versa and, in most cases, from spouse to spouse who sleep
together in one bed every day of their married lives. Who was the genius…
Now comes
the not-so-new requirement of protective child seats in cars so suddenly sprung
at motorists who are still reeling from the RFID via dolorosa. And what is this I hear about new requirements for car
registration renewals?
Another pahirap: Using Quezon City e-services
online for getting a QC ID (for vaccination, etc.) one must fill up a form, upload
photo and scanned ID and write a digital signature. My application was rejected
because my digital signature did not match the one on my driver’s license. ALL
CAPS (am shouting): How can you write with the tip of your finger or with a
mouse a good digital signature on a small rectangle on a gadget or PC screen?
Drum roll.
After the complicated process of ordering the vaccines from Big Pharmas, fund
sourcing and political maneuverings with vaccine-producing countries, are we
prepared to hit the ground running when the tens of millions of vaccine vials
arrive? Have the national and local governments and agencies, as well as
private entities done dry runs, drills and, as in theater performances, dress
rehearsals? Or will it be hit and miss? I dread the chaos and cacophony that might
ensue on the first day or weeks.
The Girl
Scout motto I live by: Be prepared.
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