An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 shook the ocean between Jamaica and Cuba as tremors could be felt as far as Miami, Florida. A tsunami warning was sent out since the epicenter lies beneath the ocean but only a small increase in sea level was felt at the Cayman Islands. No casualties have been reported. Damage assessment is ongoing. Fortunately, the type of earthquake is not the type associated with generating strong tsunamis. In 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti. More than a thousand people have been killed and the damage was widespread. Let's hope the earth has settled for now.
Back home, Taal is still in Alert Level 3 due to volcanic tremors that suggest magma is actively flowing. So Taal still has the possibility of erupting based on the findings of Phivolcs. A seven-kilometer radius danger zone is still enforced around Taal. All these are based on gathered data and not Phivolcs playing god, just saying. The government is still enforcing a lockdown on certain towns and municipalities but there will inevitably be those who will avoid the blockage.
Thankfully, the 2019-nCoV has not officially entered the country. The DOH is monitoring several possible coronavirus-infected persons whose samples were shipped to Australia to determine if it is indeed 2019-nCoV. Four of them were already sent home. The DOH will remain vigilant with those entering the country, particularly from China. No argument there. Even cruise ships, especially with Chinese passengers, are carefully studied whether they will be allowed to disembark or asked to turn back.
In China, the number of cases of 2019-nCoV has surpassed the number of SARS cases in 2003. More than 60,000 Wuhan coronavirus cases have been confirmed and 132 have died. The number of positive cases in other countries also seems to be increasing. I hope the Philippines does not become one of those countries. We seem to have both national and worldwide concerns.
Let's talk about this for a moment. The latest Corruption Perception Index lists the Philippines as 113th among 180 countries dropping 14 points compared to last year. I remember weeding out corruption was one of President Duterte's campaign promises aside from his war on illegal drugs. The "whiff of corruption" speech comes to mind. And yet here we are, 14 points down from last year. Like illegal drugs, corruption is not easy to get rid of, especially if the people themselves do not help. Corruption is a two-way event. With three years left in President Duterte's term, hopefully, the country can still improve its corruption index.
And this just in, according to TomTom (TOM2), a location technology specialist, Metro Manila traffic is the second worst in the world. The Indian city of Bengaluru is number one but Manila is not far behind. I guess that "Cubao to Makati in five minutes" was just another dream?
Thankfully, January is at an end.