Covid in Their Lungs

NOTE: This is a satirical poem which I have written and can be sung to the tune of the music: “Christmas in Our Hearts” by Jose Marie Chan.

1:
Whenever I see girls and boys
wearing facemasks on the streets
I remember the child
who was posting “feeling sick.”
Whenever there are people
sneezing colds, exchanging coughs
I believe that the symptoms
is truly in their lungs

Pre Chorus:
Let’s wear our sugical mask
For a safe tommorrow
Where everyone is safe
And all are one in health

Chorus:
Let’s fight this Covid virus
And wear protection everyday
This Covid may we never forget
The virus China gave us
Let them be the one to pay us
As our dear economy restarts
And may the belief in Science
be always in our minds

2:
In every call and virtual meet
the community unites
discussing every death
of our rising positive case.
Let hope like our sunlight
From the recoveries be born
Lead us away from the danger
When the Wuhan virus first roamed

Pre-Chorus:
So, come let us rejoice
Come and praise the home quarantine
with one big awful voice
Proclaim the name of Digong

Chorus:
Let’s fight this Covid virus
And wear protection everyday
This Covid may we never forget
The virus China gave us
Let them be the one to pay us
As our dear economy restarts
And may the belief in Science
be always in our minds (2x)

Makinig o Mamaalam

Kababayan kayo na ay mamaalam –
Sa panahong kayo’y wala sa inyong tahanan,
Alalahanin ang halaga ng pagsunod sa kautusan,
Manatili tuwina sa bahay upang kayo’y di ma pagalitan.

Kalungkutan sa iba’y inyong idudulot
Pag di namahay at laging paikot-ikot;
Tila nais nyong maipamalas inyong alindog
Ngunit sa kapitbahay ay covid inyong handog.

Sa pakikidigma sa covid, mga nars tumatangis
ang alay na nila’y ang buhay na kipkip,
walang agam-agam, maluwag sa dibdib,
matamis sa kanilang puso at di ikahahapis.

Kapag doon sila kinakaikailangan –
mga pulis at doktor magsisipagpuntahan,
Sila ay handang sa covid makipaglaban,
gayon din kayo dapat lalo’t hiling ng Bayan.

Walang maraming mamamatay,
Kung lahat mananatili sa bahay
yaong maligayang araw ay sisikat
sa likod ng luksa nitong nagtabing na ulap.

Ang inyong tulong ibigay kung kinakailangan
Pagsugpo sa covid ay ating pagtulungan
Bayanihan ay panatilihing nabubuhay,
Upang pagka-Filipino ay magliwayway.

Ating ikintal sa ating puso’t mga isip
Ang kasalukuyang sakit ay tunay na malupit,
Panaghoy ng mga nagdurusa sana’y masilip
Upang ating puso’y mabuhayan ng malasakit.

Natuyong luha sa mata ng ating kababayan
Wag titigan, nawa sila’y ating tulungan,
Kumakalam nilang sikmura’y isang kapighatian
Sa limang libo sila’y makikipag away lamang ay mabigyan.

Mga kabuhayang natigil ay siya nilang gunita
Malamig na kanin ay kanilang ninanasa-nasa
Makikipagtulakan, malamnan lang kanilang mga sikmura
Upang pag hinga’y huwag pumanaw ng bigla.

Ikaw na maginhawa’t laking marangya,
Silang mga gutom ay iyong tulungan
Hininga nila’y di malalagot pag ika’y nag alay
Simpleng pagkain mo sa kanila ay bubuhay.

Sa libingan, mga may covid di na mahihimlay
Walang malagong damo at mga bulaklak,
Bangkay nila ay ipapakain sa apoy nagliliyab
Tanging mga abo ang matitira’t walang lalamayan.

Sa inyong mga puso nawa’y aking maiparamdam,
Ang lamig ng lupa ng mga libingan,
Ang init ng apoy na sa katawa’y tutunaw
Upang sakit na covid ay maintindihang tunay.

Hayaang ang buwan ng Abril ay tumigil
Tag-araw na malamlam at tahimik,
Unang ulan ng Mayo sa atin ay maihatid
Maiwasan lang ang covid na tila hanging hagibis.

Kung sakasakaling buhay mo’y dun humantong
Huwag kang malilito at magtatanong
Pagkat kasalanan mong tunay na ika’y naparoon –
Di marunong sumunod ng mahinahon.

Bayaang sino man sa di marunong sumunod
Wag tangisan maagang buhay na nakitil;
Katigasan ng ulo sa kanila’y nanaig
idalangin, Bayan, sana lahat ay makinig.

Idalanging wala ng taong mamamatay,
At magtitiis sa hirap na walang kapantay;
Na dala ng sakit na covid sa kapalaran
Pagkat dala nito’y puros kapighatian.

Maraming mababao’t mangungulila,
Mga tao’y magkakasakit at magdurusa;
Dalanginin ko namang bakuna ay makita,
Mga gamot sa sakit, matuklasan at ikagiginhawa.

Mga madilim na gabi, tunay na mapanglaw
Ngayon ay lumalaganap, maparito, maparoon
Lahat ng ito’y matatapos at matitigil rin,
Magtulungan, umasa at tayo’y manalangin.

Ang Kanyang hiwaga sana’y mapasaatin;
Bayang Pilipinas ay pagpalain at gumaling,
tunog ng gitara’t mga tambol ay magsaliw,
Kanyang kapurihay dapat nating aawitin.

(Ito ay isang tulang kuha ng hugot sa tulang PAHIMAKAS ni Gat Jose Rizal ayon sa salin sa Filipino ni Gat Andres Bonifacio. Naisulat ko ito bilang isang paalala sa lahat ngayong nagngangalit ang pandemyang dulot ng covid-19 sa sanlibutan. Nawa’y maghilom na ang bansang Pilipinas.)

The Inferno: Thanos’ Philosophy on Humanity and COVID-19

“Ozone depletion, lack of water, and pollution are not the disease—they are the symptoms. The disease is overpopulation. And unless we face world population head-on, we are doing nothing more than sticking a Band-Aid on a fast-growing cancerous tumor.”

Dan Brown, Inferno (Robert Langdon, #4)

On the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in China last December, I immediately remembered the book Inferno by Dan Brown and the philosophy of the antagonists in that story which rang bells in my mind.

Threat or Treat?

The question: “Is COVID-19 a threat or a treat?” circled in Facebook during the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China.

This question makes valid arguments in the sense that the viral epidemic caused a halt in the industrial outputs of develeoped nations leading to the decrease in pollution levels as evidenced by various researches.

It is a treat to the health of our planet because it allowed the slowing down of humanity and the pollution that they cause.

On the other hand it is a threat to the health of the human race. It can decimate the human population.

COVID-19 will cleanse the Earth

Ducks, geese and dolphins returns to Venice canals.

By imposing travel restrictions, lockdowns and other emergency measures – we are trying to stop a calamity in vain. A pandemic is a natural calamity that must be allowed to run its due course.

Can calamities be stopped? No.

By the current technology, we cannot stop a typhoon nor an earthquake nor an asteroid. Same goes for a pandemic.

Hypothetically, pandemics should be allowed to run its course. Death is inevitable. Economic fallout is rational. What are the reasons that a calamitous pandemic must not be stopped?

First, pandemics drive evolution through natural selection where only the strongest will survive after this pandemic. The immunity of the herd after the pandemic will be stronger. The next generations of humans will be hardier.

Second, pandemics will solve all of our environmental woes starting with overpopulation. It will cull humanity. The Earth will weed us out.

If half the human population dies due to this pandemic then there will be 4 billion people lesser who will vie for resources like food, oxygen and water.

I am going an all out to Thanos Philosophy here but Thanos is correct. Less people means less competition for resources allowing us to dedicate our efforts to more progress.

How can I say that the Thanos Philosophy is correct? Just learn your basics of economics and read about your Law of Supply and Demand.

The Choice is Ours

Tom Hanks and Felicity Jones star in Inferno, a film based on the book by Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code.

The implications of this pandemic reminds me of the quote of  Bertrand Zobrist to Robert Langdon from Dan Brown’s Inferno: “There’s a switch, if you throw it half the people on earth will die, but if you don’t in a hundred years then the human race will be extinct. I left you a path, the hardest one yet, only you can finish it. You are humanities final hope.”

Should we allow the disease to run its course and we evolve? Should we allow the disease to run its course and eliminate some  of the human population for our species to have more resources and thrive?

Yes, we should but we can’t because we do not want to.

Sa Likod Sini Tanan

Lain lain ang aton mga bukid kag suba

Apang kita tanan nagatangla

Sa isa ka langit nga labing hamungaya.

 

Sari sari ang kolor sang aton panit –

Apang isa ka adlaw ang nagapainit

Kag nagapasanag sang aton langit.

 

Madamo nga mga bulak kag tanom

Lain-lain nga kolor kag katahum

Apang isa ang aton ginahamdum.

 

Katawhan indi ka magkalisod –

Sa likod sang madulom nga gal-um

May adlaw nga mapawa kag matahum.

 

Dili magkataka.

Magapadayun kita.

Maglaum ka.