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Let them take care of themselves

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Twinkling with Ninfa R. Leonardia

I feel sad whenever I hear people complain that we are not doing as well as they would like in the Olympics. For the very first time since the games began in 1932 (I think), we got a gold medal, courtesy of Hidilyn Diaz, a wisp of a girl, and if matters had improved since I last watched TV, another Pinay was already assured of a bronze, and that was the best we have done from the first time our country  got into the most important and biggest sports competitions in the world, and why are we complaining?

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But I was relieved to know that Hidilyn Diaz, our very first, and one and only Golden Girl, had saved us from getting a reputation as a no-gainer. Let us therefore show her our appreciation for the honor she has brought our medal-starved country. And if another one, Nesty Petecio, had gone farther than the bronze, let’s not belittle her accomplishment, because she has not only given us reason to applaud, she also gave inspiration and assurance that we are going forward and not backwards as far as sports competitions are concerned.

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I hope our countrymen, especially those in Manila and her own hometown will not be stingy in acknowledging her feat, and the honor she has brought us. Let us also credit her for the fact that she got the honor while competing with the best from other, more better equipped, and with more facilities for training that we cannot afford to provide her. I can’t remember if we had ever competed in this joust among the world’s best and came home with at least two medals. I also hope our next contenders will prepare arduously with not only personal glory in mind, but also pride for our country.

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I also hope our male athletes will be motivated to also do their best, train for as long and as hard as they could, to ensure that our delegations never come home empty-handed, I  mean, without any medals hanging from their necks. If our women can bypass beauties from other countries in the Miss Universe and Miss International contests, surely our athletes can gather as many medals as they can in sports competitions. Let us not harbor any inferiority complex while  competing with other countries. I, for one, am confident that our people can hold their own in any competition, be it  fancy ones like beauty contests, or sports and even intellectual matters.

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I think I am focusing on what may seem like irrelevant matters, but I believe we should take our minds off from pandemics, floods and fires that have been upsetting millions of people in other countries. Shouldn’t we, especially those in our city and province, be thankful that we have managed to keep the COVID virus at bay? Think of all those countries, wealthy ones with gifted professionals that have barely began to stop the COVID virus in its tracks. Me, I credit our protection from getting its worst effects to our prayerfulness and, if course also to the hard work and dedication of our officials who seem to be ignoring the risks to themselves.

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I hope I don’t sound incoherent in this column. Blame it on technical problems because I had to resort to an old manual typewriter in writing this, and keep forgetting the circumstances and have to erase or rewrite some paragraphs. I didn’t realize how dependent we have become on electronics, and now my fingertips are sore from all the pounding. Worst, I just had a manicure and the polish on the tips are chipping off! I told you this was going to sound irrelevant, but please blame it on the circumstances!

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Let us sympathies and pray for our fellow Ilonggos who, I heard, are now under lockdown due to COVID infections. The lockdown in Iloilo is supposed to be lifted on Sunday yet. The National  Capital Region, has also been reported to register 65 percent more COVID cases in the week just passed. The people of Bacolod and Negros Occidental  should continue to pray for the continued  distancing of the virus and I hope they will be more cognizant of the protocols set by our  officials who have been working day and night in their efforts to stop the COVID in its tracks. Let’s join them in prayers, too.

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I heard from the news that many people in the United States are still hesitant about getting vaccinated. What has caused them to feel that way?  To think that other countries are accepting what can only be the best defense  against this raging pandemic! At least, as far as I know, people in our city are even  lining up until late at night to get “vaxed”. How come such supposedly advanced countries are fearful of what can be their only defense against this mysterious new virus? Maybe we should have  a re-issue  of the DAILY STAR   with the headline “COVID RECOVERY RATE 90.11 PERCENT”. Let us be thankful, too, that we have people who  know what is for their own good, and have accepted vaccinations trustingly. As for the “unbelievers”, let them take care of themselves!*

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