By Leonado Micua

IN this age of fake news, it is necessary that we fact check some of the information that we are getting especially if it is from a doubtful source in the social media which is now obviously being used conveniently by some evil minds as medium to spread lies and disinformation.

We should be wary because  troll farms abound and most of the trolls received monthly pay checks from politicians if not in the government payroll and some in conspiracy to the sinister plot to bring down this government.

Given this situation, it is always a part of prudence to use one’s common sense before we can even dissect and share pronto a bit information that we see on social media whose very purpose is none other than to destroy our resolve to fight the coronavirus and finally end this pandemic.

Like for instance when it was posted fortnight ago a list of Philippine provinces purportedly placed under Alert Level 3, a list of which Pangasinan was included, when the truth is its classification under the less restrictive Alert Level 2 has never been changed.

Aware of the real situation prevailing in Pangasinan, many people held their breath in disbelief. Before this bit of information can cause panic and confusion to the public in Pangasinan, the Provincial Information Office and even Governor Pogi Espino himself came out with the announcement branding the said post as fake.

Methnks there was really something wrong about the post as there was no mention whatsoever if it was coming from national IATF, the only authorized government agency that can classify and reclassify the alert level status of provinces, cities and municipalities in this time of the pandemic.

Not any Tom, Dick and Harry can take that task away from the IATF which is headed by our very own Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

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On the contrary, this is not fake news as it came directly from the IATF, complete with its logo: “The Inter- Agency Force (IATF)) approved today, January 6, 2022 the recommendation of its Technical Working Group on Data Analytics to escalate the following cities and provinces: Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Dagupan City in Region 1; City of Santiago and Cagayan in Region 2; Angeles City, Bataan, Olongapo City, Pampanga and Zambales in Region 3; Batangas and Lucena City in Region 4-A; Naga City in Region 5; Iloilo City in Reguon 6 and Lapu-lapu City  in  Region 7. This shall take effect until January 15, 2022. 

All the above-mentioned cities and provinces are under Alert Level 2 and are being escalated to Alert Level 3 from January 9 to 15 due to their continuing spike in COVID-19 cases.

In the case of Dagupan City, Mayor Brian Lim can not blame anyone but himself why the cases are rising fast in his own turf. It is because he gave premium to Christmas lights in his bid to attract throngs of people at night that in most times breached the protocol on socials distancing rather than using the money spent for the illumination for more essential services.

Look at the baratillo that are still cramming on Galvan Street and Jovellanos Street as well as in front of CSI Market Square and in front of city hall where people buying stuffs or just passing by are practically wading these roads in elbow to elbow situation, where the danger of virus transmission is great. 

The baratillo shops are very much pretty close to each other and in a messy situation, which readily speaks of the failure of city officials to put order in the areas they had occupied.

At Galvan Street, the baratillo has closed the small alley leading to CSI Market Square forcing vehicles delivering supplies there daily to use its exit way as also entry way. What a way to muscle the biggest competitor of Magic owned by the mayor’s family!

Brian vowed to disinfect the markets every first and third Thursdays of the month but should include the disinfection of baratillo shops, many of them aren’t pleasing to the eyes, and also places where ambulant vendors are selling their goods if he really wants to slow down the transmission of the virus.

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