Hello, September!

Hello, September. I hope you will bring with you hope and opportunity that many, if not all people were deprived of due to the health crisis that we are now experiencing globally.

 

No one sees this COVID-19 coming even the most powerful nations, and the dangers it can cause to our health and human life. I cannot help but sometimes think that it is unreasonable because this COVID pandemic has taken away so many people, friends, and relatives in a matter of days. Worse, we could not even say our last goodbye.

 

I miss the old normal. Seeing people smile while others waved back with happiness and excitement. I also miss the warm embrace and hellos from some friends that I could not meet and gather anytime soon because of the pandemic.

 

Roughly half of the year has gone now since the COVID-19 has uninvited and unwelcomingly enter our lives and ripped us all of the things we were all so used to. I myself am not happy with what is happening, but this situation is also, a good opportunity to really reflect on life, love, and our purpose, as well as the people we thought, are our friends.

 

The year may look dim and gloomy, but we can opt to look at it the other way, a chance for all of us to learn and appreciate more the gift that God has given us. I am not the Amen type, but every day that I am waking up amidst this health crisis is indeed a blessing already. One day at a time, let us start counting our blessings rather than looking at our losses for us to better appreciate what we have and who we are with.  

 

BIRTHDAY

 

Much as I want to be happy because I was given by our dear God another year of life to be wiser and kinder, I cannot help but sometimes cry and be sad.
 
My cousin who is a doctor by profession and has been among our frontline workers in the medical field in District 5 of Manila and her husband who is an ER nurse at the Philippine General Hospital, were among our health care workers infected by COVID-19 disease. Daddy Jun was the first to contract the infection from the hospital followed by her two children, our uncle, and later on Ate. 

Gladly, my two other pamangkin were spared from the disease, Ashley who is now on her first year in the College of Nursing at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and Adrian, ate's eldest son with special needs were immediately transferred from the vacant unit in the compound that Ate inherited from her late parents. It is also where Iram and I are also living. The unit was empty since late January this year after the previous tenant decided to transfer shortly after the new year.

It has been almost a week now when the result of Daddy Jun's swab test came out positive. While the rest of the family members came out on my birthday. 

It pains so much knowing a cousin who has always been there to take care of me since we were young and especially during my stroke, as well as the other people, is now in need of health attention, yet she remains to be a doctor that she has promised to be and to the rest of the family who are with her during this lockdown period.

Ate feared for this day. That even during the early onset of this health crisis her worry is for her children. And what she feared the most is now already inside her she peaceful home. Ate and her family are now battling this COVID disease.

But before ate and her family, it was my brother, Manuel who tested positive to COVID sometime last month. Sammy, as we usually call my brother, got the infection from his work in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. If it is any consolation, our much younger brother, Joseph is also working in another company in Riyadh, has been constantly checking on him, providing information that can help improve his condition. And thankfully, Manuel Jr. is now safe and COVID-19 negative.

Indeed, when we are helpless and uncertain, we can only hold on to Him and ask for miracles and prayers, And at this time that even Iram and I could get the infection, we can only surrender to God’s mercy and guidance. With the threat and chaos brought bt this global health crisis, it is our faith and relationship with God that can truly save us.

THE JOURNALESE

Mailayo lang sandali sa Coronavirus...

Dahil tanghali na ako nagising at habang nag-aalmusal, I received a private message from a journalist friend, Johnna, asking me if I am now with BM, an acronym for Business Mirror, so I replied, no.

She said, Martin (referring to Usec Martin Andanar, who was also a former colleague in media) read a question during a Media Briefing yesterday in Malacanang attributing to my name with BM as an agency.

Some years back, I did applied to Business Mirror before joining the DILG, but that time they preferred a business writer over a political reporter which is not my cup of tea.

Seated on my left is Johnna Villaviray then with the Manila Times and Mavic Angeles on the right, was then with dzEC Radio Agila. While I was then with Radio Veritas 846. The photo was taken at the Senate's PIMRO circa 2000

 

Puzzled? Yes. Admittedly, there are times that I am asking myself or sometimes wanting to be in the mainstream media. While my present work allows me to still do what I know and love, although on a different fence, but this is not the season for me to go back to my first job. Besides, I no longer have the adrenalin of a 25-years old who would love to chase the stories and the news sources regardless of the risk. I am now 45, still in the recovering phase following a mild stroke three years back.

 

In times when I feel like expressing myself, what I do is pen those thoughts and put it in my personal blog like this one.