The Experience and the Hurt

While the Palace and legislators appear to be at loggerheads on the indemnification issue and who’s first on the list for COVID-19 vaccine, a social media shout-out is not too comforting.  It says the Philippines will only receive the vaccine, “after Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, and Bangladesh.”

Ouch!

How was the experience of those who already received the vaccine? Allow me to fill you in on the experience of those who received the first round of the inoculation. The experience varied, depending on the immunity of the person. Those taking their first shot are required to disclose if they were taking any maintenance medicine.

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Two of my relatives work as medical practitioners in the United States.  As frontliners, they were among the first to be inoculated. My nephew had no adverse reaction, while my niece felt like she was coming down with flu. She was advised to take paracetamol.

My friend Blue, on the other hand, had “slight light headedness” and was advised by her doctor to take two tablets of paracetamol. Blue was requested to stay for 30 minutes, instead of the mandatory 15 minutes to observe if she might develop an allergic reaction.

The three are scheduled to have their second dose 21 days after the first. Those who already got the second dose after 21 days said it had a lot of side effects such as three days of flu.  Some experienced body aches while others felt like their heads were spinning, similar to riding a boat in bad weather.

I can’t wait to hear the experience of Senate President Tito Sotto who volunteered to be first among the members of the August chamber to be vaccinated.

However, I have yet to hear who among the economic managers will be the first vaccine recipients. Any volunteer? Will it be Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, or Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno?

Do I see or hear the youngest of them, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrik Chua volunteering? Come to think of it, the entry of Sec. Karl as NEDA director-general significantly brought down the average age of the economic team to a ”below 50 years old.” Sec. Dominguez and BSP Gov. Diokno are dual-card bearing citizens – Filipino and senior. Should I say goodluck?

Another good luck is needed by the working force of Lufthansa Technik Philippines following the disclosure of the management that it is streamlining its manpower by 300.

The downsizing of Lufthanza Technik, a joint venture maintenance, repair and overhaul firm of cigarette tycoon Lucio Tan’s Macroasia Corp. and Lufthansa Technik of Germany, mirrored the hurt COVID-19 inflicted on the aviation and airline industry.

The real score? It’s true. Lufthansa Tecnnik will soon issue pink slips to its employees. The firm has already obtained the approval of the National Labor Relations Commission. Another major company to get the NLRC nod for downsizing is flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). 

Similar to PAL, Lufthansa Technik offered voluntary retirement to employees 55 years and above, as early as last year. That was a positive side to it.  But after a review of the situation on the ground and the horizon ahead, the company felt the need to reduce some more its working staff to stay afloat.

Survival is the name of the game now.