Filipinos will survive Covid-19

Manny F. Dooc

There is definitely no social distancing between Ying Ying and Le Le—two giant pandas that, for more than a decade, have been attracting crowds to the hong Kong Zoo in Ocean Park. In a much awaited press conference befitting the announcement of the conception of a royal heir, the executive Director of the hong Kong Zoo, Michael Boos, like a proud father, gleefully declared: “The successful natural mating process today is extremely exciting for all of us, as the chance of pregnancy via natural mating is higher than by artificial insemination.” And who would not be thrilled when it took 10 years of efforts before the couple finally succeeded to mate naturally. Well, zoo officials should learn a thing or two in the process that Ying Ying and Le Le need a little privacy to do their thing together and certainly the closure of the zoo to prevent the spread of coronavirus made that happen. We should thank Covid-19 for playing cupid to the two lovers. I hope the zoo officials will not name the baby panda “Covid.” The “stay-at-home” order will result in a panda baby boom, which will be a blessing to animal lovers. I hope this will result in a “pandemic” that will reverse the dwindling population of pandas.

Incidentally, the world’s top rubber producer, Malaysia, warns of a looming condom shortage due to the closure of factories and disruption of the supply chain. Alarmed, the United Nations expressed concern about the dire consequences of a condom shortage. It would compromise family planning and exacerbate social and health problems as there will be more unintended pregnancies, teenage child-bearing, unsafe abortions and higher incidence of STDS. The Malaysian government should declare the manufacture of condom as an essential industry so that condom producers can ramp up production, otherwise the world may face another pandemic—population explosion and its related problems.

LITTLE has been mentioned about Cuba’s good deed of sending a team of doctors and nurses to Italy to extend assistance in its battle against coronavirus. It was reported that the team was dispatched upon the request of Lombardy, the most devastated Italian region. Assisting calamity-stricken countries is not new to Cuba. A small communist country ruled by one party, Cuba has engaged in medical diplomacy since the communist government took over the country in 1959. Its “armies of white robes” made up of doctors and nurses go to countries around the world devastated by natural calamities and diseaseravaged places like Haiti and West Africa at the height of the cholera and ebola epidemics. Cuban medical brigades were also sent earlier to several countries to fight the Covid-19 in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Grenada, Suriname and Jamaica.

Cuba, with the help of Russia, has developed over the years an effective health-care system that is more advanced than those of other developing countries, and has trained more competent medical professionals. When one Cuban doctor was asked why he is undertaking the hazardous mission of going to a dreaded place like Italy, the volunteer doctor replied to Reuters: “He who says he is not afraid is a superhero, but we are not superheroes, we are revolutionary doctors.” It seems that the flame of Cuban revolution in 1959 under Comandante Fidel Castro has not died. It is admirable that the Cubans who are the heirs of the movement that first broke out in 1953 when Castro and his ragtag army of guerillas were routed in 1953 when it launched a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks have not lost their idealism. Castro was captured and tried for rebellion, together with his followers. Acting as his own counsel, he delivered a speech before the jury, which was later on printed and titled, “History Will Absolve Me.” This document is now regarded as the scripture of the Cuban Revolution. Addressing the court and the jury, Castro alluded to the earlier martyrs like Jose Marti who strongly advocated liberty for the Cubans and freedom from despotic rule and dubbed them “Apostle,” to wit: “It seemed that the Apostle would die during his Centennial. It seemed that his memory would be extinguished forever… But he is alive. He has not died. His people are rebellious. His people are worthy. His people are faithful to his memory. There are Cubans who have fallen defending his doctrines. There are young men who in magnificent selflessness came to die beside his tomb, giving their blood and their lives so that he could keep on living in the hearts of his nation. Cuba, what would have become of you had you let your Apostle die?”

Young Cuban medical workers may perish in foreign shores combatting a health scourge ravaging hundreds of millions of people and devastating almost all countries in the world. They dauntingly go on a mission regardless of the political ideology of the country they rescue and the personal risks they confront. I’m not fond of communist Cuba and its despotic leaders, but its medical brigades all over the world are true sons of the revolution who are worthy of their nation’s martyrs. They have kept the spirit of the Moncada Barracks attack and the flame of the 1959 revolution, which toppled the Batista regime, eternally kindling and burning. With the same resolve, Filipinos will survive Covid-19.