By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
It was a bright summer day when I went out five days ago. I was in town just before 8:00 a.m. As usual I was stopped at the checkpoint along Marcos Highway, the main entry from Metro Manila as Kennon Road is closed. The policemen there were courteous and let me go once I identified myself as a member of the media.
Wanted to see how the central business district was so I drove straight. The roads were deserted save for delivery trucks with “Food Pass” clearly visible on their front windshields. Cars and motorcycles were very few.
When I reached the BGH area a police patrol car with the red and blue lights blinking on its top appeared on the rear view mirror. Perhaps they were making out if there were other passengers in the car. I drove on and after passing through the Convention Center (on the right side) and UP Baguio (on the left side), the police car turned towards the PFVR (Pres. Fidel Valdez Ramos) gym. I later received a text message saying that the turnover of 400 sacks of rice donation by Moog Controls to the city will happen there at 1:00 p.m. that day.
Reaching the top of Session Road, the few cars that were out slowed down. There was another police car and policemen were stopping the vehicles asking the occupants what was their business being out of their homes. Again I was readily let through after identifying myself.
Driving down Session Road, the right sidewalk was very visible to me. I could not clearly see the left because of the center island. I counted with just my fingers the number of people walking along Session Road all the way down to its end at People’s Park (Plaza). Those going up obviously went to the market lugging plastic bags that were full. Those going down were obviously bound for the market. All the establishments were closed except for a drugstore.
Turning right at Magsaysay Ave., another plice car appeared on my rearview mirror. As I followed the course of Magsaysay Ave., thus turning left at the junction with the road on my right going up to Dangwa Station, the police car went straight towards Bonifacio St.
I was supposed to go straight to the office to finish what I had to file with the prosecutor’s office for the last text message they sent me was “filing deadlines” would still be observed by that office. But when we went there with my client early p.m., we were told that they were closed.
So next destination for me was the city market to see how it was. Parking just below the City Hall, I walked over. Oh, it was nice. No pedestrian traffic. Social distancing was assure as the next person would be about a road-width away, or even farther. Buying some vegetables, I kidded the stall keeper: “Is there no COVID discount?” He said with a smile, awan a ta nakobed tayo amin. (None because we were all hit by the ‘kobed.’)
The market was also practically deserted. Most of the stalls at the vegetable section were closed. The meat and fish section which I viewed across the road, had almost no customers.
Then I passed by a grocery store near City Hall. During the first days of the semi-lock down, all grocery stores were jam packed with panic buyers. This time, there were only six customers. I saw that several freezers for meat were empty.
It was about 4:00 p.m. so I went to attend the mayor’s presscon at City Hall. What he said there are all over the pages of this issue.
That night I received a call from a college of law classmate in Metro Manila. He said that he was amazed at how successful was the enhanced quarantine in Baguio. That people were really in their homes. In Metro Manila, he added, there were still so many people in grocery stores and in market places. I said, well, that is why positive COVID cases were coming from there.
He then said that we have to take care as we, being senior citizens, are vulnerable. Yes, thank you. But I told him I had a secret against the virus. What? Ako ay masamang damo.**
