EXISTENCE AND DEMISE
A country rubbed out by a plague known as the Red Death, a ruler named Prince Prospero
seeks protection for himself and his courtiers behind the walls of his compound. Amidst further
distractions, he throws a masked ball at which a visitor clothed in red appears. This figure is none
other than the Death itself and met death. Throughout the pandemic, we witnessed how the
Philippine government have belittled and minimized the health risks of the coronavirus at nearly
every turn. They have politicized care and treatment concerning the alleged corruption by
Philhealth, which should have been the greatest hope that the poor could have in these times of
pandemic.
Comparable to the president, Prospero condones the agony of the people.When Prospero’s
dominions were half depopulated, he summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted
friends from among the knights and dames of his court, and with these retired to the deep seclusion
of one of his crenelated abbeys. This scene reflects the distribution of vaccines in the country,
where the rich and the privileged effortlessly got not only two doses of the CoVid-19 vaccine, but
three, while some people can’t get even a shot, after trying with all their might.
Prospero’s thoughts that ‘the external world could take care of itself is also evident during
the pandemic, specifically in the Philippines through the allotting of financial aid or Ayuda, as the
government tends to shut down places and workstations for half a month, but gives assistance that
could barely last a week, for Filipinos living paycheck to paycheck, the abrupt loss of work is
devastating families, and Duterte’s stewardship during the coronavirus pandemic has been by what
advocates call a disregard for the poor and the plagued. It also further emphasized the concept of
inequality as he and his visitors could radiate their fear of death by engaging in other activities
inside a setting that they deemed safe. At the same time, the poor are outlawed from the protections.
“The red death had long devastated the country,” Poe embarks his story. It’s a
straightforward statement, obvious and no-frills. It depicts the current CoVid situation in the
country, embodying its citizens seeking sound and doable solutions.