My high school classmate died of COVID-19 yesterday afternoon. He had to be intubated after complaining that he couldn’t breathe after getting positive for COVID. He had undergone dialysis. Only in a span of two days…

He used to play keyboards for my band because he was a better keyboard player than I am (yes, I used to have a band 21 years ago). But he had to drop out because he had a day job. We were fresh college graduates then who had a hangover of college life. He was my uncle’s godson and he and his wife were the next tenant after my older sister gave up her condo unit when she left for Australia some years ago.

He is more than a statistic.

Damn this government.

Yesterday we logged the highest daily new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. And Octa Research projects that we will be hitting 10k-11k before the month ends if the government doesn’t do anything to keep the people from moving about unnecessarily.

The situation is getting worse. We are a hot mess and those nincompoops in government do not have one iota of goodness in them.

Just read this: Fil-Chinese business group being ‘blocked’ from buying COVID-19 vaccines – Locsin

The Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce are also trying to procure vaccines but are being blocked.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) March 18, 2021

There are so many news items and anecdotal evidence of other things that point to incompetence, negligence, and self-interest reigning over this administration. I am really losing hope and I’m emotionally drained. Bankrupt.

One of my best friends is now thinking of migrating to Canada. I can’t do the same since a single mother has limited options. Countries like Canada and Australia would put single parents in the bottom of their list as desirable migrant because the thinking is that people like me will just weigh on their welfare system. My present company will not sponsor my migration since my skills are more needed in this region. That’s why a tourist visa to the US is tricky for a single parent unless I prove I have above average income, investments, and properties here. The two items I can easily provide but I haven’t invested in properties until the annulment is granted by the court.

I was distressed last night that I had had sewn by hand my new muslin kitchen curtain. In one sitting. I needed to be busy and mask sewing doesn’t cut it anymore. I need a more complicated project to take my mind off my classmate’s death, the sorry state this country is in right now, and my own personal grief.

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UPDATE: We’re going to be on a lockdown starting tomorrow, but the government doesn’t want this to be called a lockdown because that meant they had to give financial support to the most vulnerable people–the poor. The poor who had no choice, cannot stay at home because they need to work or else they would go hungry.

Duterte approves 2-week GCQ for M. Manila, nearby provinces with add’l restrictions

They keep on saying we cannot afford it but they have yet to show where they spent the money they have borrowed for social amelioration. They have borrowed billions of USD for vaccine procurement and yet they are forcing the private sector to donate half of the vaccines they are procuring for their employees (because they cannot wait for the government’s verrrrrrryyyyy slooooooowwwwwwww vaccination program–if there is indeed a program). Because people like me had been very noisy/vocal about this anomaly on social media, the government now is singing a different tune.

Private sector need not donate vaccines to gov’t, ECOP chief says

Where is the money we borrowed for vaccines gonna go if they’re forcing the private sector to donate? Your guess is as good as mine. This is blatant corruption and this government is really taking advantage of the pandemic that keeps us from doing protest actions like the Burmese.

Or Filipinos no longer care.