By Manuel P. Mejorada
In a matter of one to two weeks, Iloilo City should be able to gradually ease the quarantine for residents and begin the slow journey back to normalcy. The latest DOH reports shows that there are no new Covid 19 positive cases in Iloilo City during the last few days. This is a very encouraging sign that the curve has flattened. Iloilo City has effectively contained the spread of the virus despite a considerable number of quarantine violations.
I can only write about Iloilo City because there’s little information about what’s going on in the province. I would assume Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor, Jr. is working as hard as Mayor JPT in making sure the corona virus spread is stopped cold in its tracks. The last time I heard, there are three towns in the province with positive cases: Guimbal, Lambunao and Pavia. I hope the infections are confined in these LGUs.
What Ilonggos have gone through is like a war experience without the bombs exploding and bullets flying all over the place. But this enemy is far deadlier than foreign aggressors. That’s because it is invisible to the naked eye. And the disease could be borne by a healthy-looking person you meet at the market or grocery store. Or it could be somebody in the barangay who is loitering in the streets, chatting innocently with friends he or she meets.
It is a disease that has immobilized the whole world. No superpower is strong enough to stop it. It has infected nearly two and a half million people around the globe. As I write this (April 21), there are already 168,906 deaths. It threatens the very existence of humankind.
But I am confident Ilonggos will rebound from this crisis with a strong bounce. Filipinos are a resilient people. Ilonggos are a sturdier lot. Less complaining and more action. This crisis has made Ilonggos stronger than ever. Its collective will shielded the people from the deadly virus. The shared experience has galvanized their sense of community.
In fact, as I look around, Iloilo City stands out as a model of excellence in combating the Covid 19 pandemic in the Philippines. It was a stressful job for Mayor Treñas making sure the enhanced community quarantine is strictly enforced. There have been numerous instances of people violating the curfew. However, by and large, Iloilo City stayed the course. And Mayor Treñas ought to be commended for his sterling leadership.
Iloilo City enjoys a number of advantages that will make its recovery smooth and relatively easy. Its strategic location is one. Being the regional center of trade and commerce, the economic comeback will knock at its doors earlier than the rest of Panay Island. It won’t be hard for businesses to reopen and move into the fast lane for economic recovery.
