IT WAS a good decision by local government of Davao City and the Roman Catholic Church authorities to mutually agree on cancelling the traditional activities in yesterday’s feast of the Holy Infant of Jesus of Prague over at Shrine Hills in Matina.
Yes, doing such is a hard and difficult thing to do because it means breaking a tradition that has long entwined to many people especially those who have made an almost fanatical devotion to the image.
But we agree that at this time of a global health pandemic that we believe, it was the right thing to do even if it would mean breaking a tradition that many had lived through the whole of their lives.
After all, the intention of the authorities in arriving at such decision is intended to avoid activities that could end up becoming the “super spreaders” of the highly feared virus. Only the morons will not understand or refuse to understand that the cancellation of the activities that will bring together thousands of people in one place would be to their common benefit.
We are all aware that these days the city is always in the top five list of places with new Corona Virus Disease (CoViD 19) infections in the whole of the country. In fact Davao City was again in the number one spot the other day. We have been there for quite a long period already and for sure everyone in the city is not comfortable with that unpleasant reputation.
In fact, being the top producer of infected individuals over the last few months could be interpreted by some that our officials are not doing enough or that Davaoenos are hard-headed and are not compliant with the various health protocols issued by the government to avoid viral infection.
Anyhow, the devotees to the Infant Jesus of Prague should not despair totally. While most of the activities in the Shrine are cancelled, masses are still allowed to be said according to local authorities. And while no one is permitted to attend the masses, the devotees can say their prayers expressing their devotion in the confines of their homes or even in their hearts.
After all, if their intention to show deep devotion to the Infant Jesus is to implore for His blessings and good health to them, in this time of a serious threat to everyone’s health, maybe it’s more than worthy to include in their prayers the safety of others. And their prayers should be complemented with action.
And that action is one little sacrifice of denying themselves their desire to join any religious gathering to celebrate the feast. If they have done this act yesterday they were not only providing safety to themselves but to the many others who could have been infected with the virus had such convergence of people happened.
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Some weeks back we wrote about another “New Normal” in Davao City, or at least in some of its areas.
Yes, in Catalunan Grande where there are several housing subdivisions, water service interruptions have been going on almost daily starting from as early as in the morning and lasting until 12 noon or to 1 o’clock in the afternoon.
The reason given us is that the DCWD is undertaking some improvement work on their plant or pipes; or that the power distribution firm is having interruptions. Thus, it is also affecting its service. But what is getting the goat out of the consumers is that the situation has been going on for so long already that they are wondering what kind of repair work is done in the distribution system.
Somehow, the interruption has become so prevalent that residents in the area treat it as the “New Normal” and any day that it does not happen becomes unusual to them. There were in fact several instances that residents in that barangay have sounded out in their post on some social media platforms that when the water is still available between 8 to 12 in the morning they called out the water firm to remind it of having forgotten its routine.
Why, is it really that hard for the DCWD to tell the consumers at the affected area the truth behind the interruption of its service? Cannot it tell the people in plain and simple terms the real reason or reasons of the outage?
For certain the consumers will understand if they find the reason acceptable. Or, would the public utility rather hold its customers guessing and perpetuate their agony? Is its service covered with a Congressional franchise that the water firm seems secured it is beyond touched even if its service in wanting? Pray, tell us.
