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Mask Wearing: Budget Cutting

Face Mask

What’s the big deal about face mask wearing in light of everyone’s desire to finally end the pandemic?

Look. Lifting the mandatory wearing of face masks in “outdoor settings” is practically letting our people get rid of their masks altogether – anytime, anywhere. Can we not see that even with the law mandating our citizens (notably those in Cebu and Metro Manila), many of our countrymen don’t bother to wear (and wear properly) their masks, ignored by authorities? How much worse then can the situation get if we make it “legal” – for our people to take their masks off in so-called “safe, uncrowded, outdoor areas”?

The World Health Organization and our own DOH are not in favor of the idea.

Who wants the wearing of a mask? Nobody. But who wants the coronavirus to remain in our country for a period longer than it would or could? Nobody. Why look at governments outside of ours? They don’t care about us.

University of the Philippines - UP
University of the Philippines

Look. The mass gathering and crowding of people, I mean the busy Christmas season is forthcoming, fast approaching. Have we easily forgotten what happened last year, after the same season, the season most loved by entrepreneurs and pleasure-lovers? Why can’t we wait a little longer, even just until January 2023 – for us decide wisely? But until when shall we wait for BBM to appoint OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire to become our full-fledged Secretary of Health?

Meanwhile, why cut the budget of government-owned/run hospitals for 2023? And for what sane reason are our officials cutting the budget of the University of the Philippines and other state universities? Is the budget cut done to accommodate budget increases for less important services or for political purposes? This is anomalous, must be corruption-related.

Let’s wait and see what Congress or the Senate will do about it.

By Reni M. Valenzuela
[email protected]

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