Ika 1 ng Mayo 2009: New Pandemic?

The day when labor is celebrated.... ya'y.......no work today. Worldwide, there will be celebrations of workers. The day marks a significant event in the lives of the workers that P/GMA's holiday economics was put to the test when labor leaders raised the issue that moving this day to another day effaces its significance. Indeed, we should all celebrate our labor.....all things we are enjoying today is indeed the collective fruit of our labor. Companies and organizations should recognize that human resource is their most important resource and not treat us, workers, like any commodity.

We will celebrate today even as we try to control the onset of a new pandemic that threatens life once more with the swine flu that killed more than a hundred in Mexico, the origin of the virus. The last
time, there was worldwide concern was during the onslaught of the SARS virus in the late 2002 up to the middle 2003. It was the next AIDS, the next Bubonic Plague, the next Pestilence - and wouldn't you know it, the disease's origin was traced to China. Beijing officials did everything they could to cover up SARS from prying eyes - pretending everything was okay while shuttling hundreds of persons (and their immediate relatives) in unmarked vans to sterile quarantine camps. When truth came to light, it was disclosed that nearly 10,000 were under quarantine, 4,000 people had been infected, and over 150 had died. Close behind was Hong Kong, with 2,000 reported infections and 150 deaths. Canada was placed a distant third, with 343 reported cases.

I remember it well because I was concerned about Dayap and her family who were based
in HK, the other country badly hit by SARS that its economy tumbled. Dayap quickly sent her kids home but she and her hubby chose to remain there. It was like a ghost town as a once vibrant economy looked so lifeless. Businesses lost and the HK economy was shredded. Once the SARS scare was over, Jackie Chan had to make a pitch in a global ad to bring life to HK's economy. Dayap's kids have since relocated here.

Now, I have the same concern about my brother and his family who will be travelling to the US this month. There have been one reported case of death of a toddler in the US. My brother said he is closely monitoring. Worldwide, travel officials are monitoring arrivals. In Egypt, leaders ordered the slaughter of its swines.... poor creatures. Elsewhere, we are all concerned and monitoring news.

My friend, V......, is also coming home from Canada. Dayap, I think, is also coming home. I will be praying for a safe travel for my friends........

PS: Nadagdagan na naman ang listahan ng mga sirang gamit sa bahay. Bumigay na ang monitor ng computer sa study room namin at wala ng pag-asa ito. Talaga naman....... Totoo yata yun kasabihan na

when it rains, it pours

....... Wag naman sana sa mga sirang kasangkapan no........