Same storm, different boats

The world is traversing the same storm, but the boats are looking at different maps and may be encountering different difficulties as captains may differ in judgment.

The record can attest that some may be equipped with sonar, some with sails that rely on wind direction. But none of these are exempted from the storm’s fury.

Let us play the role of a mariner with sextant to trace what its rutter is saying.

Italy was the first to surpass China with the most coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) deaths. The country’s problem was that it responded too late and with moderation. It seems enchanted by Pavarotti’s “’ and decides to do as it pleases. Now, it is embarking on gradual loosening of lockdown provisions.

even the robust German economy is expected to shrink anywhere from 3 to 10 percent this year. It has to take drastic moves to save the economy in its worst performance for decades. Lufthansa’s fleet is seen parked almost everywhere as travel is hurt so badly. German companies are forced to adopt short-term work programs to prevent mass layoffs. It has to prop up eurozone’s largest economy. Bailouts for struggling businesses are given in the form of unlimited loans.

China is dealing with the pandemic by taking modest actions, reducing reserve requirements for banks with an indication that it will cut interest rates in the coming months. It is expected to pump an additional $80 billion to help struggling businesses. Unlike other countries, its political system can respond with haste at any given time.

Badly hit is Japan. The postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics is a big blow, considering the expenses incurred for the preparations. The government has responded with a relief package of $1 trillion. This figure is equal to 20 percent of its GDP, and the ship’s captain Shinzo Abe is never known for throwing in the towel or committing harakiri.

For the United Kingdom, even before the pandemic, Brexit was already predicted to result in a recession. With the pandemic, British economic experts are predicting a 10-percent dip in economic fundamentals. London Bridge is not expected to fall down yet, as the treasury has pledged to pay 80 percent of workers’ compensation for several months along with deferred tax payments and increased employment benefits.

Brazil is now number two, yet the government is attempting to hide the true numbers. Brazil’s last official numbers showed it had recorded more than 34,000 deaths related to the coronavirus, the third-highest number in the world, just ahead of Italy. With 615,000 infections, placing it as second highest, the prospect of the Carnival in Rio is dim.

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The european Union has opened its borders to visitors from 15 countries as of Wednesday, but not to travelers from the United States, Brazil and Russia, putting into effect a complex policy that has sought to balance health concerns with politics, diplomacy and the desperate need for tourism revenue. The list of nations that eU countries have approved includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand, while travelers from China will be permitted if China reciprocates.

eU was quicker in the draw. The wall versus the US was erected without paying for it.

*** According to the Palace spokesman harry Roque Jr., the Philippines is winning the war against the pandemic. he was seen on TV whooping it up after saying the country beat the prediction by a group from the University the Philippines that Covid-19 cases would reach 40,000 by the end of this month. I did not know that the enemy is a group from UP. I am now desperately looking for dolphins to swim with.

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We salute Maj. Marvin A. Indammog, 39; Cpt. Irwin B. Managuelod, 33; Sgt. Jaime M. Velasco, 38; and Cpl. Abdal Asula. We trust that the National Bureau of Investigation will clear what really transpired in Jolo, Sulu. Whether it is a rubout or misencounter, it is a big blow to the Anti- Terrorism Law, just signed on Friday, June 3, by President Rodrigo Duterte.

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It is now official. Beijing unveiled the national security law it is imposing on hong Kong on Tuesday, punishing crimes of secession and sedition with up to life in prison and stoking concern it heralds a more authoritarian era for China’s most freewheeling city. Beijing was right in the first place. It was not reform after all. Banners with bold letters “Independence” can now be seen.

Before barking on China, please read this carefully. During the First Opium War, China ceded the island of hong Kong to the British with the signing of the Chuenpi Convention, an agreement seeking an end to the first Anglo-Chinese conflict. In 1839, Britain invaded China to crush opposition to its interference in the country’s economic and political affairs. One of Britain’s first acts of the war was to occupy hong Kong, a sparsely inhabited island off the coast of southeast China. In 1841, China ceded the island to the British, and in 1842 the Treaty of Nanking was signed, formally ending the First Opium War.

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North Luzon expressway, or NLex, Balintawak has now corrected the confusing combination of RFID — radio-frequency identification — and Easy Trip signage. Mr. MVP, tell your boys to quit playing games. We consumers pay good money and should not be used as guinea pigs.

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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.