Let’s start with a prayer: “Loving God, I pray that You will comfort me in my suffering, lend skill to the hands of my healers, and bless the means used for my cure. Give me such confidence in the power of Your grace, that even when I am afraid, I may put my whole trust in You; through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”
To paraphrase Shakespeare: “Will he or won’t he? That is the question.” That is, will our beloved President Rodrigo Duterte allow himself to be vaccinated against the Covid-19 in public? Well, latest reports reveal that our dear leader is amenable to be inoculated in public for everyone to see after saying previously, through his spokesman Harry Roque, that he preferred having it done in private.
This near-sighted Ibaloy writer hopes the President will stick to his decision of having himself inoculated in public since the move will hopefully go a long way in assuaging the fears of many Pinoys on being vaccinated against the deadly disease due to perceived harmful side effects. It seems that chilling memories of what occurred during the dengvaxia fiasco years ago is still fresh on the minds of our countrymen. Can’t blame them. Tao lang naman po. So there.
So, with this as a hurdle, Digong and other top-level officials having themselves vaccinated in public will somewhat assuage this fear, whether rational or not. Being the country’s honorable leaders, they should lead not only in words but more so in deeds, during the vaccination process. What is that phrase again? We will follow what you do and not what you say? So, act accordingly honorable bossings.
Back home, local health officials said the side effects, if any, will be like those expe-rienced from ordinary flu vaccines or the like that many have already taken. Besides, health professionals will be around during the inoculation should anything untoward occur, they assured.
They claim that benefits to yourselves and loved ones in being vaccinated far outweigh the risks. Since being inoculated is supposedly one’s choice and cannot be forced, this is something that everyone should seriously ponder on.
FYI: The PNP Caravan for the registration of firearms and the processing of license to own and possess firearm (LTOPF) takes place on Feb. 26 to 28, 10a.m. to 9p.m., at the SM Baguio annex parking.
Here’s “Surnames” by Gabriel Baban Keith: “That’s life, I guess, in our beautiful/ camote republic./ Many of its “leaders” elected because/ of their surnames. Nothing more./ Surnames made famous by their forbears/ and not themselves./ “Leaders” whose only achievement/ is having a famous surname./ Feeling like they own the world./ Feeling like they are who they are/ because of their efforts. What a joke./ They are lauded, awarded because of/ their surnames. Nothing more./ Pity those more deserving but are not born/ to the right families./ That’s reality, I guess, in our beautiful/ sayote republic.”
