The Lion, The Witch, and That Irritable Itch

STORY BY LOUISE LAURIE LIGSON

"IN the Fountain of Youth, love is the water." That is what the famous author, Debasish Mridha, said.

According to ancient myths, there is a fountain that restores someone's youth. But in Divine Grace School, I found a fountain where not only mystical green water and love flows, but also swarms of mosquitoes and their larvae.

Dengue is one of the major problems in our country as hundreds of cases are recorded every year but according to the recent data from the Department of Health, dengue cases in the first quarter of 2023 rose by 94% compared to the same period last year.

As of March 2023, a total of 29,885 cases were recorded by the World Health Organization. From January 1 to March 2023, the number of deaths reached 95 which is a lot lower compared to the 107 deaths last year.

Maybe because we hear it so often that we sometimes take dengue too

You can get infected multiple times but each reinfection is more dangerous than the previous one.

Dengue virus spread through the bite of a mosquito, mostly by Aedes aegypti. The mosquito becomes infectious when it bites an infected person, carries the virus inside it, and then injects them to another person as it bites them. There are also times that the female mosquito infected with the virus passes the dengue to their eggs.

There are a variety of symptoms of dengue. The patient can have a symptom in which they are unaware of the infection or also have severe flu-like symptoms where the patient experiences nausea and high-grade fever.

Dengue symptoms include fever that reaches up to 40°C or 104F, nausea, vomiting, rash, aches and pain including the area behind the eyes or also known as retro-orbital pain, and generalized muscle and joint pain.

Mild infections can be healed larly clean the fountain.

I still remember the patient that I was sharing the room with at the hospital. It was his third time having been infected with the virus.

Sometimes, I would wake up to him rushing to the bathroom to vomit blood and at night, he would scream and cry to his father that he can't breathe. I also remembered his father frantically calling the nurses.

We were separated by a curtain but whatever it is that was happening on the other side, it might be just me if I take this disease trivial.

The most effective way to stop dengue is prevention. Stopping mosquito breeding avert a dengue pandemic.

Mosquitoes only need a few amounts of water accumulated in a container that's why it's important to drain and scrub clean garden fountains, bird baths, and flower pot bases at least once a week as these are the common places mosquitoes breed their eggs.

I’ve never been a big fan of smoking, neither did any of my friends, or anyone I knew to begin with. “What a stupid way to slowly kill yourself,” I always thought to myself. Not only is it unhealthy for the environment, but it’s also deadly for everyone around you. This just makes you inconsiderate, and a walking disaster.

“3:57.” Read the watch on my wrist. I was getting ready to go home, when it hit me. The suffocating smell, and the irritated eyes, a deadly combo to say the least.

I looked outside to try and pinpoint the cause of this inconvenience. And then, I found it, the center, the cause, whatever you want to call it. To me, it’s just another casualty waiting to happen.

Studies show that 41.7% of youth in the Philippines, are exposed to secondhand smoke inside enclosed public places. School grounds like classrooms, and hallways are a prime example of an enclosed space, and the 2nd hand smoke coming from the burning of leaves right outside our school boundaries precisely proves this fact.

This is a huge inconvenience and a clear health hazard for the students on campus. The smoke that is very overpowering, was a danger to teachers, staff, and students. Especially to those who have a weak pair of lungs.

It’s a surprise to me that the admins still haven’t done something, nor raise a concern about this. Must the students think of a solution themselves?

“They should be disciplined enough to know na syempre whenever magsisiga sila, sa school punta nung usok,” said a bothered student. According to some, the image of the school is also at stake.

With such high stakes at hand, it was still a surprise for me that this still continues to happen. I even asked myself, “Has the school turned a blind eye towards this?” Because, as time passes, it’s beginning to feel like we're waiting on a miracle.

Research found that air pollution was responsible for 66,230 deaths in the Philippines in 2019, of which 64,920 deaths were estimated to be adults and 1,310 children. This continues to increase throughout the years.

Some alarmed students were still trying to reach out to the school administrators, but to no success. Some students were also contemplating whether to raise a concern to their parents or to finally extinguish this issue.

How ironic since the center of our health problems is right outside the school boundaries. Just a few more inches and there wouldn’t have been any problems at all. No burning of leaves during class, no suffocation, no health hazards — nothing.

I was talking with my friend about it, when he said something that stuck to me. “Pangit yung nagsisiga sa may school kasi inconvenient siya sa mga student, kasi siyempre mabaho. Also may mga students na sensitive yung lungs, parang ako lang.”

What shades are available?

STORY BY XELA ANDREA EHONG

E’RE all somehow alike, but I am robbed of my rights.

WPinkish pain

The sensitive feeling of touch, just like how the children first walk on grass, the same happens when the dog wore shoes, “Tip-toe, oh my feet feel like floating!”

I know you feel the same way too. But, why am I not treated like you?

Your lips get tinted, while I am being hunted.

Eye drops? Oh come on, my eyes are swollen red!

But, what can I do?

Living in a cage, inside looking in. Sharpness of the needle freaks me out, not even a little. Guess, I'm just used to it? Though, I don’t think I can handle it.

Maroon malady

Effectiveness of your needs being tested on a large number of innocent paws. Exposing our bodies to chemicals, drugs, and depriving us of our necessities.

Here comes the smoke. Why’s everything rotating? My body feels like I'm about to collapse.

My head is so heavy and the burn in my back stings so bad.

Can you hear it? “Bleeeeeeep."

Oh, I guess it’s just my ears, infected and notched.

I think it’s just part of my job, as I was born with this.

In the end, it is for our humans, right?

They are far superior to us an- imals. They’ve even been to space.

Bloody red

Your long lasting beauty may result in a continuing cruelty.

Despite having countless of our species being killed, some of the drugs and research are still a failure, leading to wasteful resources and innocent lives of these creatures.

I thought we’re already living in the 21st century? High technologies, fast innovations, new tools, ways.

“Old habits die hard”

But, why are we still here? I’m so sick of this laboratory.

Without these experiments, I'd be out of a job, and will probably be out in the streets. Well, in the field. Living in a fauna, where an animal is supposed to be.

This statement made me realize just how much of a danger the situation was happening. It really reflected on the school’s image on how they handle these types of situations. Quick hint, they don’t.

Overall, this whole situation throughout the school year taught me the impression that this institution shows little no care for a threat, until it actually affects one of its residents. And to that, I can truly say that they do their best work “after the fact.”

Luckily, we made it through and finished the year without any harm whatsoever. But, who’s to say for now? Coronary heart diseases, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and more. Who knows when simple bystanders like us will see the effects of irresponsible people?