Christmas Day is already over, but the holidays are far from done. People in the Christian world, especially in the Philippines–indisputably, the longest in the world (BER Months)–continue to celebrate the December spirit, this time they have waited the dawn of the New Year, which we’re in now.
The New Year–2021– is the Year of the Metal Ox in the Chinese calendar. FYI, Readers, persons born this zodiac sign have an honest nature, diligent, dependable, strong and determined.
However, like majority of Filipinos, Catandunganons have the reasons to be anxious, weary and uncertain of the future. Reasons–pure, simple but urgent, abound.
For one, the covid-19 pandemic is still hounding us with devastating magnitude. A spike in the infections due to the Christmas celebration was earlier anticipated by the OCTA and the national level-IATF. And to think that the present dispensation, through the DOH and FDA panel of experts have yet to decide which and how many vaccines are under negotiation taking into considerations its efficacy and safety.
Second, slew of typhoons, with ST Rolly as the strongest, pummeled the southern part of Catanduanes, Bato and Baras which bore the brunt.
Not contented, the situation worsens with the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) to farms in the municipalities of Bato, San Andres, San Miguel, Viga and Virac, Consequently, asap, thousands of hogs would be set for mass for mass killing in the above-mentioned ASF-infected towns, as depopulation measure. As expected, hog raisers in said municipalities, particularly Virac, scrambled to butcher their relatively healthy animals consumed during the observance of Christmas and the New Year.
Be that as it may, we also have reasons to hope and look with optimism amid these man-made and nature-induced calamities. Nevertheless, the observance of the Yuletide Season, no matter how austere and simple, was very momentous event in the Christian world especially.
God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son–Jesus Christ–to redeem us from sins and gifted with the grace of salvation. God is with us, hence, the name Immanuel.
Although saddled by true or unfounded accusations, controversies and doubts, a vaccine available for all Filipinos–including the terrorist groups according to PDU30—in 3-5 years. Barring any unexpected events beyond our control, let’s hope and pray that we’ll be able to overcome these adversities and conundrum in NY 2021, before, during, and after the May 2022 elections and thereafter.
