A plague of nightmares LOOKING ASKANCE

What next for the country? The draconian COVID-19 restrictions have been gradually eased, and one would have thought that the next rational steps would have been allowing more and more economic activity, while still keeping in mind the precautions the doctors have prescribed. But Ulysses happened.

Typhoon Gomi might have been quickly dismissed from the decision makers’ minds as soon as it came and went, what with almost-hysterical alarms blared through all forms of media followed by, well, nothing. At least in Metro Manila it was a whisper of a breeze, which diminished the severe impact Gomi did have in already erstwhile-neglected areas like the Bicol Region. But Ulysses slammed into the isles soon after, and calamities struck left, right, and center.

Proof that whatever one may think, the horrors of 2020 is indeed not yet over, and with the storms currently brewing over the Pacific, it looks like more turbulence is in store for this nation.

Post-Ulysses, the legislators and sundry officials get to dip their hands into more funds for emergency assistance and restoration efforts, never mind that the Treasury and Finance teams already tore their hair out trying to be creative with fundraising for COVID-19. Guess what, taxmen, you’ll be pressured to squeeze out more from the taxpayers!

So, economic activity has to be encouraged, to be coaxed, so as to keep on pumping in revenues into our coffers already sucked-up dry, and the bold prediction is, we will not see another lockdown. Another enhanced quarantine that again prohibits the movement of goods and personnel, that disallows more nebulous forms of activity that don’t squarely fall within “essential”, will see residents gasping for survival, and perhaps, even social unrest. I don’t think that is a fate our administration will tempt.

That’s why we are witness to the opening of domestic tourism, with hotels allowed to accept guests and flights into tourist bubbles already departing. It’s not just a matter of the Department of Tourism trying to stay relevant, as some critics snipe. It’s a recognition that businesses and jobs, our survival even, are at stake.

With this limited travel flow green-lit recently, a gradual opening up of airports and seaports to international arrivals is soon to follow. We will see this government listening less to the epidemiologists, and more to the economic gurus.

That is evident in the current pronouncements of government; we are pinning our hopes on the discovery of a vaccine, period. Other measures resorted to that addressed the virus will not be revived, discarded from the government’s playbook. Especially now that twin typhoons have ravaged the country, the forthcoming hardships will be spectacularly harsh if another lockdown is announced.

Hopefully, we’ll see the pouring of funds into major infrastructure, especially since so many bid and contracting restrictions can be magically waved away by a strong government not bothered by the much-weakened opposition. Government spending, if performed the right way, will do wonders.

That, however, does not include the purchase of dolomite to be spread along the shores of Manila Bay, the millions for which would have come in handy right now, come to think of it. And while we’re thinking of it, if the state owns the natural resources anyway, according to our venerable Constitution, why did we have to pay somebody to use the resource that government already owned? Something is real fishy (and it ain’t the goldfish that was used for the experiment to show gullible Filipinos that dolomite is aqua-life-friendly).

So, it’s not yet time to unfasten your seatbelts, unfortunately. Without a vaccine, with more typhoons, with no Christmas celebrations - 2021 is looking like it’s going to be when the nightmares end.