Actress Aiko Melendez laments the spike in the numbers of COVID-19 victims.
In her Instagram post yesterday, Jan. 3, Melendez recalled being nearly paranoid upon hearing the sirens of ambulance as it brought back sad memories.
“Ang dami ko nanamang Sirena ng ambulance nadidinig. Nakaka paranoid at me kurot sa puso ko. Marahil trauma na naalala ko ung mga panahon na me phone call kami nakuha sa US na ung dad namen nahospital from Covid at hanggang binawian ng buhay,” she recalled.
(There are many sirens from ambulances that I hear again. It’s making me paranoid and it hurts in the heart. Perhaps this is trauma as I remember the time when we had a phone call from the US informing us that my dad was hospitalized for Covid until he passed away.)
Her dad, Dan Castaneda, passed away a year ago and it left her in pain because she was raised by him.
“Ayaw ko na magturo manisi, kasi tapos na kahit ano pa gawin ko di na mababalik buhay ng dad namen,” she said. (I don’t want to pinpoint, blame anyone because I can’t do anything to return the life of my dad.)
And just as when when the situation was already okay, Melendez is aghast that Alert Level 3 has been raised in Metro Manila again.
“Lahat ng pag iingat ginagawa naman nateng lahat. Pero sadyang mapaglaro ang covid. Me mga kakilala ako nagka covid kht anong ingat nagkakahawaan pa dn,” she said. (We do all the precautions, but Covid is really tricky. I know people who contracted Covid, but no matter how careful they were, they still got afflicted.)
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With the new alert level, Melendez is worried about the drivers.
Yesterday, Melendez talked to TODA (Tricycle Operators’ and Drivers’ Association) members who were all worried with the Alert Level 3. The transport group is affected because their trips are curtailed.
Even the business sector is affected, she believes.
For Melendez, there are transport sectors that should be allowed to ply their trade to avoid crowding in buses or jeepneys and, thus, prevent infections.
“Bottom line ng lahat post ko is, ang pag iingat ng bawat tao ay dapat collective efforts, tigilan na ang mga palakasan ng connections, sana sa mga sarili naten maging maingat tayo,” she said. (The bottom line of all my posts is, taking precautions by everybody should be a collective effort, stop using personal connections, hope that we take care of ourselves.)
Melendez feels that if one wants to party, then they should have themselves tested before they face other people. They should make sure that they don’t have the symptoms. Otherwise, COVID-19 will always recur.
Melendez also believes that erring government officials should be sanctioned and not only the poor.
“Kakapagod na dn kasi paulit ulit lang ang scenarios. Maawa dn tayo sa mga OFW na nagkakanda kuba sa kakatrabaho tas gusto nang umuwi pero dhl sa kapalpakan ng iba wala dn,” she said. /ra
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