Collateral Damage

Typhoon Basyang (aka Conson) ripped through the Philippines and hammered Metro-Manila last week. The storm left the city without electricity for an extended period and in some areas of Luzon for several days.  As a result, perishable foods that lost electric powered refrigeration and/ or freezing within this period became unsafe for consumption.

Food spoilage  is a problem that accompanies any long term brownout. Personally, for the most part my wife and I can get by when the lights go out. However, our main concern under such circumstances is possibly contracting a food-borne illness because our refrigerator isn't running.   In many instances of course it's easy to detect that a particular food product has gone bad just by smell, taste, sight, or touch. With other items it's not that easy.  They may appear to be o.k. but may be harboring dangerous bacteria.  (So I wonder just how many people are felled as a result of ingesting spoiled food in the aftermath of natural disasters.)

Here in Eastwood City, it took almost 24 hours for electricity to be restored. Fortunately, our refrigerator was up to the job even without power such that our frozen foods stayed hard and the refrigerated foods remained reasonably cold.

However, during the power outage I noticed that for some nearby fast-food restaurants without alternate sources of power, it was business as usual. Their interiors weren't lit or air conditioned, and the cash registers weren't working, ( sales were calculated manually); so I assume  their food preparation and refrigeration units also weren't functioning  (Perhaps the food was left over from the day before).  In fact, I observed that one of these businesses, a convenience store, had food out at room temperature (actually in the 80's indoors due to warm weather) all day on the display rack of a non-functioning oven warmer.  That is just the right condition for bacteria to multiply and thrive in.

But all this carelessness isn't surprising. Unsafe food handling practices are common in the Philippines.  There are laws on the books against such negligence, but more often than not, due to corruption and inefficiency, they are unenforced.

However, it's not rocket science to understand that meals served by restaurants under such circumstances can lead to food poisoning. Yet during the blackout customers were still patronizing these establishments. These people appeared to be middle class and therefore presumably educated enough to know that they were flirting with danger.  But such apathy is part of the Philippine culture of  bahala na  which is roughly translated as fatalism.

For those who want to play it safe, IMO it's probably best to stay away from such eateries for at least a few days after a long-term power outrage while they foist off their questionable inventory on an  indifferent public.  On the other hand dining out in the midst of a power outage is probably safer in malls that have backup generators powering their businesses including restaurants along with the latter's' food storage equipment.

As careful as I try to be in these matters, I have not always been able to dodge the bullet.  I have contracted amoebic dysentery twice from contaminated  food or beverages.  However,  it could only occur more frequently if I were to let my guard down.  Risk in dining out or even in food preparation at home can't be totally avoided even under the best of conditions.  But by exercising common sense under obviously hazardous conditions,  it can at least be minimized.

America, The Philippines, and the Fourth of July

July 4 marks not only American Independence Day but also Philippine-American Friendship Day.  By way of a little history, this date was also originally celebrated as Independence Day in the Philippines to commemorate the official end of American colonization in 1946. The holiday was moved to June 12 in 1964.  For the story behind reason for the change, click here.

But back to the present, in honor of this joint holiday the American Association of the Philippines, an organization with which I only recently became familiar,  presented a festival in Taguig City yesterday. Inasmuch as I usually don't attend such events, I decided to spend a few hours there anyway but didn't stay for the finale.

It was a low-key, family oriented celebration that while it had a distinctly American flavor and was held mainly for the benefit of Americans residing in the Philippines, the festival  nevertheless blended U.S.and Philippine cultures. There was a good turnout, and everyone seemed to be at ease with this mix.

The American ambassador, Harry K. Thomas made an appearance and gave a speech that traced the historical ties between the U.S. and the Philippines.  He mingled with the crowd and pressed the flesh; so  I was able to meet  and exchanged pleasantries with him. Ambassador Thomas seems sincerely interested in his assignment, and I wish him success. However, his immediate predecessor, Kristie Kenney, who was immensely popular with the Philippine people is going to be a tough act to follow.

Two glitches in the festival were a shortage of  tables and chairs to accommodate everyone in attendance, and the "infomercials" presented by the sponsors were too long which delayed the rest of the events agenda.

Still I'm glad that I went and that the AAP holds such festivities which enable us expatriates to collectively enjoy the holiday traditions that in relocating abroad, we might not otherwise have the opportunity to celebrate.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYBODY.