AN out of work basketball referee from Cagayan de Oro reached out to me on my messenger asking for help. He hasn’t received any money in several months.
In the meantime, several dozen football players of this professional team have not received their wages from anywhere for a month up to several years.
In this difficult time, we are witness to some of the best of and worst of humanity.
That Air India crash last Saturday where the captain and his copilot sacrificed their lives to save most of the passengers is at once heroic and tragic. That was like a mercy mission where they were ferrying Indians back to their native country.
Asian News International, the Delhi-based news agency, donated close to $14,000 dollars to the families of the deceased and almost $2,000 to the seriously injured and a smaller amount to those with minor injuries.
ANI doesn’t need to do that. But they are compassionate enough to help out.
We have seen many local groups conduct fund raisers not only for frontliners, but also for out of work coaches, sports officials, as well as people of other crafts and industry.
This pandemic has seen a multitude of people go through great suffering. I myself have been severely affected by the pandemic losing my major source of income. I have somewhat kept my head above water with my savings and continuing to write and do online teaching.
And throughout this pandemic, I have gone on regular food runs for the homeless along the Katipunan, Project 4, Cubao and New Manila area. I have also done food runs for homeless dogs and cats. It is both taxing financially and emotionally, but it is difficult to sit back and do nothing.
One such couple who live in two push carts have been threatened by barangay officials and local policemen for staying near a hospital. It isn’t like they litter around the area. They in fact do a lot of cleaning.
When I think about it, I can only do so much. I try to compensate by asking for donations to help those affected. And I also do some writing.
Case in point, the plight of the Global FC football players because their nonpayment of wages and unfulfilled promises that are highly malicious.
The wages owed them are anywhere from a month to several months to even years. Think about the anguish caused by this. And some people even have to gall to say that by writing and pointing out the ills of the sport that “it is hurting football” and that “this is not the time for that.”
Pray tell…when is a good time for that?
Hasn’t it occurred to them that some clubs have not fulfilled their ends of the bargain way ahead of the lockdown brought about by the pandemic. And conveniently, other officials have turned away. Oh, the blindness men wish for. And they say that they do this “for football” as if they have the sole authority to claim such.
This is a time for reflection, to reinvent ourselves, and do what we can to lift humanity out of the dregs of this virus that seems so suspicious.
We all have to do our part. We have to help. I have to figure out a way to help that referee down in CDO. And as for those who have made matters worse…we all need to not only call them out, but see what can be done about them.