‘Di Nga?

Joseph Guerrero in Tips and Advices

Jul 03, 2020 • 3 min Read

I drove from Manila to Bicol and back. What caught my attention were the six highway major accidents. Trucks and cars that turned turtle.  It was not evolution. It appeared to be more of human errors. The question that popped out was how accidents that appeared to have similar human errors repetitively occurred in a stretch of less than 300 kilometers. The pictures of those incidents can warn motorists that accidents can be avoided by simple caution and concern for fellow motorists. The pictures will not need explanation. The message can be clearly inferred and discerned.

But then, maybe the drivers of those vehicles lack the knowledge and skill to avoid the accidents. Ika nga ni Immanuel Kant, ‘A man do wrong not because of ill will or malice but rather because of his ignorance of what is right’. Classic Pinoy quip would be, ‘may nagsabi ba nyan? ‘di nga?’

COVID-19 is raging amidst us. The virus spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person cough, sneeze, or talk. Two of the simple defenses that we have is through the proper wearing of mask and social distancing.

The mask must cover the nose and mouth because respiratory droplets are discharged and acquired through these orifices.  Eh bakit ang daming naka mask na ang tinatakpan lang ang nguso? Yung iba naman may mask pero walang tinatakpan. Siguro, ika nga ni Immanuel Kant, di nila alam ang tama. ‘Di nga?

Tatlong buwan tayo naka ECQ, GCQ, IQ, EQ, atbp (basta lahat ng may Q) sana sinabay sa panghuhuli ng quarantine violators ang pag papaabot sa kalahatan na obligasyon ng bawat isa na wag mahawa at maka-hawa ng COVID-19. Isang pamamaraan ay ang tamang pagsoot ng mask na tinatakpan ang ilong at nguso. Ganun ba yun? ‘Di nga?

Ang mga ordinaryong kawani may ‘raket’ na ang tawag ay paluwagan. Kada panahon ng sahod nag aambag sila ng kanilang share at mayron naman na naka sked na kukubra ng kanyang ‘sweldo’. Bakit ang lahat ng kasali nag bibigay ng kanyang ambag? Kasi malinaw sa kanila na ang ambag ng bawat isa ay makakatulong sa kapakanan ng lahat. ‘Di nga?

Social Distancing is an effective mode of preventing the spread of COVID-19 ‘veerus’. Ngunit sabi nga sa itaas, sana nasabay sa ECQ, GCQ, at iba pang Q ang pag papaabot ng konting IQ at EQ. The intention of prohibiting motorcycle back riding, that is social distancing, is replete with good intentions. Medyo magugulat ka lang kung pano yung mag asawa na magkatabing matulog na walang masks pero bawal isakay ang misis sa motor ni mister. Since bawal ang back rider bawal din ang anak isakay ng kanyang ama. Kahit ba dala nila ang marriage contract o birth certificate bawal pa din? ‘Di nga?

Binigyan ng diin ang kautusan na ito ng nahuling magka-back ride ang magkapatid na nurse na papunta sa ospital na pinagtratrabahuan nila. Kumalat din sa social media ang tungkol sa isang frontliner na walang masakyan galing sa Bulacan at kailangan makarating sa ospital. Inihatid sya ng kanyang brother-in-law ngunit hinuli ng MMDA at tinekitan at may multang limang libong piso. Matapos ma tiketan pinayagan uling mag back ride sa motor para makarating sa ospital ang frontliner. Magulo ba? ‘Di nga?

People prefers to live longer and attain their dreams. ‘Di nga?

People do not wear mask properly because they may not know how COVID-19 threatens them. Nobody shared the information extensively. The less and the left behind do not have the same source of extensive information with those better situated in life. ‘Di nga?

People opts to back ride in motorcycles because they cannot afford to buy cars. ‘Di nga?

Ang bayan ay magsasama-sama kung tama ang kaalaman at naniniwalang para sa ikakabuti ng pangkalahatan. ‘Di nga?