THE Philippine National Police Office in Davao City in coordination with the local government has released for the public to be aware of, the various protocols to be observed in the commemoration of the All Souls and Saints Days this coming November 1 and 2.
The guidelines are focused primarily on ensuring that the number of people visiting their dead relatives in various cemeteries in the city, will not cause a super spreader situation of the still prevailing CoViD 19 pandemic. If the people are allowed to do their thing in commemorating the Undas, the likelihood is that they will converge in city cemeteries either on November 1 or November 2. Meaning the resting place of the dead will be swarming with the living which situation is ideal for the virus to spread even if most of those in the crowd are already vaccinated.
As a consequence anyone in the cemetery on those 2 days could be the vehicle of the virus transmission. In the same manner, anyone could also be the recipient of the transmitted virus. Therefore, it is just right, even if some of the protocols are arbitrarily restrictive, that everyone should be aware of these and must not be so cocky in their compliance of the protocols.
Of course, there is this other primordial reason why the police and civilian authorities are imposing rigid protocols. It is this aspect of maintaining peace and order in cemeteries and even in the various communities, in effect securing the living.
As we are already aware of, before the pandemic the police and the LGUs are strict in their measures to prevent anyone from getting inside cemeteries bringing deadly weapons, the reason why backpacks are being prohibited inside the cemetery compound. Liquor or any other intoxicating drinks are banned. Even the sound system is not allowed to be brought inside, and no overnight stay.
And the authorities could not have been more correct in adopting such protocols because experiences in the past show that even sane people when intoxicated have the tendency to be out of reason. This is where trouble is likely to erupt in cemeteries.
Moreover, those with criminal minds tend to commit crime in places where a sizable crowd converges (for those with terroristic intentions), and in communities temporarily left unattended as most residents are out to visit their dead loved ones (for those burglars and robbers).
With the protocols in place the police and civilian authorities can rest assured that the All Saints and All Souls Day commemoration will not result in more dead to be visited in cemeteries in the Undas next year. Instead, those who will be visiting their dead loved ones during the Undas week this 2022 will still be around to join next year’s pilgrimage to the communities of the dead – the cemeteries.
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So consumers residing within the franchise area of Davao Light will be getting lower electricity bill for the month of October?
This was what the power utility announced last Tuesday in a media interview. Should this announcement be a cause for a semblance of celebration?
Frankly we do not know. What was given as a reason is the bigger share of the power supplied from renewable energy sources in the power mix. Meaning, the share in the generation mix is coming from plants like hydros mostly from the Lake Lanao hydroelectric plant complex, in Bukidnon, and a component from the smaller hydro plants in Davao City.
The lower generation cost has to be because in the past few months Mindanao, including Davao City, had been blessed with heavy rainfall because there is enough water in lakes and rivers to run the hydro plants.
But for how long will this blessing last? This blessing is welcomed by the majority of Mindanaoans but at the same time cursed by those who are residing along or on the path of excess water flow – the flood prone areas.
Somehow we cannot help but imagine the situation as one that is fervently prayed for by one sector of the population on one hand, and earnestly hoped for by another to be brought to a stop if only to have the opportunity to recover the losses brought about by the floods.
On the other hand there is this steep rise in the cost of imported fuel products to run the various power plants in Mindanao. We have the exorbitant oil imports from the Middle East and the skyrocketing cost of coal from the traditional source in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
What then will happen to the electricity cost in Mindanao, and Davao for that matter, when the rains take a respite from regularly falling and the prices of either oil or coal continue to rise?
Well, we just have to wait and enjoy this probably short-lived lower power bills this month.
