Let’s start with a prayer: “Lord, Your scripture says that You heal all diseases and whoever believes in You will not perish but have an everlasting life. Strengthen me, Lord, in this time of illness. Sustain him as he lays sick in his bed. When You were on Earth, You did all things good and healed all kinds of sickness. You healed those who had diseases. You died and rose for our sins and that we may have eternal life, Lord. I believe in my heart that You are here with us today and that with Your most holy power will remove all sicknesses and evils that roam the Earth. Let it be done in Your glory, Lord. We praise and glorify Your name, Amen.”
It is truly heartbreaking and enraging that even in these sad times where thousands of our fellowmen around the world are losing their lives to an invisible killer called Covid-19, “human viruses” in the form of terrorists like the Abu Sayyaf Group continue with their murderous ways. Just recently, 11 servicemen including five brave Cordilleran soldiers were killed in a gun battle by these deadly viruses in human form in Sulu earlier this month. Mayor Benjie Magalong and Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan led the city in mourning the loss of these heroes.
Why can’t we just settle our differences by just talking or maybe even shouting at each other without using violent means? As Beatles frontman John Lennon, who ironically met a violent death himself, sang, “All we are saying is give peace a chance,” and also advised his fans to “make love, not war.” Life’s too short. Maybe we can spend it peacefully instead. Stay home and stay safe, y’all.
In an effort to enforce physical distancing at the ground floor of Block 4 at the city market where the alleys are narrow, the Public Order and Safety Division, the Market Treasury Office and the Baguio City Police Office have devised a pedestrian traffic routing scheme where market-goers will move in one direction on each lane. Alongside this measure, the volume of people within the area will be controlled by only letting in people equivalent to the number of people exiting. There will also be POSD enforcers roving inside to monitor and prevent congestion.
To better guide market-goers, yellow arrows and directional signs were installed. One meter markers have also been put in place at the entrance to ensure physical distancing while queuing to get in. Vendors at Block 4 have given their commitment to help in the implementation and enforcement of the new scheme. This is after having been given the option to help or sell alternately which would have cut their income in half while the ECQ is in effect.
Here’s “More and More” by Margaret Atwood: “Unfortunately I don’t have leaves./ Instead I have eyes/ and teeth and other non-green/ things which rule out osmosis./ So be careful, I mean it,/ I give you fair warning:/ This kind of hunger draws/ everything into its own/ space; nor can we/ talk it all over, have a calm/ rational discussion./ There is no reason for this, only/ a starved dog’s logic about bones.”
