Walk on water or pay fine

Due to the alarming increase in reported cases of leptospirosis, it has been suggested by some health officials to the MMDA to declare a ban on swimming in flood waters. In response, the Metro Manila Council of mayors has shared plans to fine parents of children caught swimming in flood waters.

Anyone who regularly assists victims of flooding will tell you that people have to “swim” through floods or across flooded sections to go to higher ground, to get on a rescue boat or swim to dry shelter.

We all want to minimize infections such as leptospirosis that occur often during floods, but banning swimming during floods is like telling fish to avoid getting wet. Many victims of leptospirosis were not out for a swim. They were people who had to go through flood waters, not compete in the 50-meter freestyle!

While the intention behind a ban is good, it is clearly a knee jerk reaction, or something selectively picked up by media but not properly explained or expounded by the source. In other words, premature or taken out of context.

Filipinos know that during rainy season or flash floods, water accumulates at varying degrees. For people born in the 50’s and 60’s, “baha” or flood meant water reached knee high or waist deep. Nowadays, some people declare a flood just because the water sunk their shoes or reached their ankle. But regardless of the depth, any unfortunate soul can still get leptospirosis.

In relation to water-borne diseases such as leptospirosis, the general impression is that even without a flood you could get it by walking barefoot and stepping on the pee or puddle of urine from an infected animal, generally rats. Victims are often faulted for walking barefoot or for leaving open wounds untreated and unprotected. This means that even if you walked on water like Jesus did, you could still get infected.

As for the 66 or so critical or serious cases at a government hospital, infection may have been through open wounds or ingesting infected water by mouth or through the eyes as they “swam” through flood waters. But here’s the catch: hundreds or thousands of Filipinos swim or wade through flood waters all over the Philippines but only a small population get infected by leptospirosis.

Perhaps it would be ideal if policy makers and officials broke down the problem into manageable bits and identify the problems. First, do a profile of the victim-patients, demographics and susceptibility to the disease. Follow up with an environmental sketch of the areas of infection.

What are the primary causes of flooding; localized or interconnected with nearby creeks, canals or river? Record prevalence of rats, stray dogs and open garbage piles or food sources for rodents and stray animals. Check records of actual animal control, vaccination campaigns in the village or barangay.

Arrest or eliminate the source or carrier of leptospirosis, sanitize or remove food sources and shelter and educate the affected residents about leptospirosis and how they can protect themselves from the disease and the carrier.

Filipinos, especially in depressed urban areas, should stop having a “live and let live” attitude towards rats and mice. In our younger days, we instinctively look for a rock or a stick to kill any rat that showed itself in daylight. LGUs must get tough on stray cats and dogs because the last thing we need is a repeat of the case of the Scandinavian tourist who got bitten by a rabies-infected puppy.

This recent incidence of leptospirosis is the second time that “rats” are the subject matter. First it was the couple of rats lurking about at NAIA Terminal-3 many months ago, and now after Typhoon Carina, people getting are sick presumably because of rat transmitted bacteria.

Hopefully, the MMDA, MMC and the DOH and DILG will now realize that rats are not just disturbing to see in public spaces but are health threats and carriers of fatal diseases. Instead of hiring part-timers as street cleaners for political propaganda, put up a bounty for rats and stray animals, and suspend local officials where garbage is in plain sight.

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While the Philippines has been “losing” Filipino athletes to Japan, particularly in basketball and volleyball like Jaja Santiago, there has apparently been a proposal to recruit and convert foreigners into Filipino athletes. In response some people have expressed their views on the matter:

“May I suggest that we stop this recruitment of Filipino foreigners who only come to the Philippines because they are incapable of representing their countries of birth…”

“Further, not a single Filipino foreigner has ever won an Olympic medal while competing for the Philippines… All medals from 1924 to 2024 were won by local-born athletes. This clearly shows the failure of the strategy to recruit Filipinos born overseas.” – Mr. V

Another reader stated: “I respectfully submit that the ‘bounty money for gold medals and yabang points for political donors’ could have been used to help achieve the constitutional mandate for Philippine sports: ‘The development of a healthy and alert citizenry.’” – Mr. A

Meanwhile, I just read that the City of Manila has just given another P2 million to Olympian Caloy Yulo as a resident of the city or a Manileño. With so many homeless people wandering in Manila, P2 million could have built a small safe space for homeless women and girls.

I can only hope that Yulo has enough wisdom or godly virtue to spend, give or donate some of his prize money to a school sports program, an orphanage and, in turn, become a blessing for others.