Heat wave, health wave, hate wave?

Professor Emeritus Leonor Magtolis Briones

Heat wave

SINCE mid-April, the country has been broiling, boiling and burning in the intense heat wave ranging from 38 degrees Celsius in most places to over 50 C in certain areas.

People are reeling from higher electric and water bills. They are struggling with higher inflation.

The heat wave has wreaked havoc not only on the basic education system but also on the economy. Productivity has been greatly affected with increased levels of tardiness, absenteeism and reduced efficiency.

Public and private sector institutions are resorting to various strategies to cope with the impact of the heat wave which is engulfing the country.

The immediate response of both sectors is work-at-home policies with different variations to suit specific circumstances. However, it is also recognized that the work-at-home approach has limitations. Even before the heat wave, a tycoon told me that this policy by itself can result in 20 percent loss in productivity.

Other proposals include reduction of work days and adjustments in working hours. Staff who stay in boarding houses are advised to find nearby temporary lodgings to reduce time travel and exposure to extreme heat.

Training organizations and academic institutions with housing and live-in facilities are considering the policy of making these available to staff and employees on a temporary basis.

Yes, the heat is on and the search for ways to cope with its impacts on the economy and social institutions continues.

Health wave

The furnace of heat we are burning in has impacted powerfully on health. To cool themselves off, individuals frequently take water, juices and flavored drinks. If they are not careful, they can drink from dirty containers and sip infected liquids. I suspect there is an increase in intestinal problems.

People also eat a lot of fruits which may not be washed properly, as well as summer delicacies like halo-halo, dirty ice cream and fruit salad.

In the meantime, because of the sudden changes in temperature, people are experiencing elevated blood pressure, as well as heightened sugar levels, and high body temperatures in addition to the usual coughs and colds.

Even as public attention is rightly focused on education, the impact of the heat wave on health is equally worrisome and cannot be discounted.

Hate wave

It is interesting to note that the hate temperature of the country is escalating along with the heat wave.

At the international level, Philippine authorities are reporting increasing hate exchanges with a neighboring country which expresses its rage by water cannon. This time the damage to our vessels is increasing significantly.

In the meantime, the Philippines is making the rounds of official visits to countries which are bound to ours by mutual defense treaties and other agreements. Our armed forces are engaging in various military exercises with these countries.

At the national level, the legislature is busy investigating charges of corruption and bribery by a pharmaceutical company. The beneficiaries are the doctors, and the perceived victims are the poor patients who have to pay for medicines which are overpriced or even unnecessary.

The accused pharmaceutical company is denying the charge vehemently, and the Department of Health (DoH) has been invited to shed light on the controversy. In the meantime, the level of discourse is rising by significant decibels. All parties claim that what they are doing is for the benefit of the poor patient — according to the pharmaceutical company, the doctors, the legislators and the DoH.

However, what excites Filipinos most is the strident exchange of personal hate and venom between well-known national personalities. Hate at the personal level is always more interesting and absorbing than something as broad and as vague as international and national hatred.

The recent episode of a national figure singling out another national figure thrilled gossipmongers, kibitzers, loyal defenders and vicious enemies. The issue occupied headlines for days on end and still lingers on the newspapers’ front pages.

There were charges and accusations with one side complaining that it was a deliberate, carefully planned, well-rehearsed and very expensive propaganda operation.

On the other hand, defenders claimed it was nothing more than a journalistic scoop by a well-known TV host.

Whatever it is, the incident served to increase the level of hatred and viciousness on both sides. There are those who observe that the incident sent a very clear signal to the perceived object of the interview and a warning to those who might side with this person that they could be targeted in a similar manner.

There are many other examples of escalating personal hate levels. One wonders if the physical heat wave and its consequences are connected to the rise in hate temperatures.

Heat wave, health wave and hate wave. Are they somehow connected and trigger one or the other?