'Mahirap mahalin;' body count continues

Every now and then, we Ecome across statements of exasperation from Filipinos online.

- CITO BELTRAN

A sadly popular line is the one that goes: "Pilipinas ang hirap mong mahalin" or "Philippines you are so difficult to love." More recently, I myself have discovered that "0Mahirap din siyang tulun gan" s"he 1s also hard to support or help."

Take, for instance, the government, s "Bakuna Eskwela" program that was launched by no less than President Bongbong Marcos and rolled out by the Department of Health in cooperation with the Department of Education.

The program was meant to push government vaccination programs for school children, redeem the country's stature in terms of addressing vaccine preventable diseases and stand strong against vaccine hesitancy and disinformation.

It was great that President Bongbong Marcos Jr. himself launched the program because I learned from a source that some DOH middle executives were hoping and praying that the media and other groups would help out. But except for some radio plugs and press releases, the PR for Bakuna Eskwela centered on the launch and no more.

Still, every doctor, public health advocate, hospital and health organization I knew expressed support not only for Bakuna Eskwela but also for the President's bold stand on vaccination. In fact, within weeks of announcing the Bakuna Eskwela program, no less than the PAPO or Philippine Alliance of Patients Organization took the lead in issuing a statement of support for PBBM, Secretary Herbosa and the FDA.