‘In the end, all we citizens can do is to make sure that we do not forget these things the next time we line up for the ballot box, and convince others to remember the same.’
IN the early months of the pandemic, it became a habit to check every two weeks or more if government will be imposing changes on what citizens can and cannot do in terms of movement, reporting for work, etc. True, circumstances were rapidly changing because of the quick spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Stakeholders continued to lobby government for reasonable measures based on science, and timely notice to afford those involved the time to make the needed adjustments. However, these changes were so poorly communicated and implemented that most folks could not make heads or tails of it.
Look no further than the recent issue about the use of face shields. Various high government officials gave conflicting statements on whether face shield will still be required for people to be able to go out. This may have something to do with the fact that those around President Duterte were unprepared for the Chief Executive saying to a group of lawmakers that the use of face shields should only be required in a hospital setting. Of course, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was quick to share the news.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque affirmed to journalists that the development was indeed the policy of the President himself, but was also coy on details on when its implementation should be expected. However, Roque clarified later that face shields will continue to be required until the President decides on the appeal of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. It’s more dizzying than watching a tennis match, except the game never ends.
I hope that our policy makers realize that people want to comply with these regulations; but if these announcements and changes are as clear as mud, can anyone really blame Filipinos for just throwing their hands up in frustration? These rules, expected to be followed by the entire populace, are ever-changing, much like the passing of the wind.
Even these acronyms for different types of community quarantine are just flat-out bizarre, with no discernible difference other than a change of letters.
Government is a monolith. It takes extra effort to ensure that every person expected to implement these rules are properly informed of applicable parameters, to avoid confusion.
Those at the top must at least make some effort not to confuse the people expected to follow these regulations, as chaos benefits no one. In the era of messaging apps, email, text messages, and virtual meetings, it’s quite inconceivable that our officials cannot seem to get on the same book (much less, the same page) about regulations that have a direct impact on the daily lives of citizens living under the threat of a pandemic.
Whenever a snafu like this happens, one just hopes that our officials will learn their lesson and try to do better next time. However, more than a year into this deadly pandemic, it seems that these things just keep happening over, and over, and over again. In the end, all we citizens can do is to make sure that we do not forget these things the next time we line up for the ballot box, and convince others to remember the same.
