The implications of a swine flu pandemic on our own little corner of the world are enormous.

Right now, international travel is restricted due to one’s budget limitations. A viral epidemic changes all that. Even those who can afford to travel will hold back, and choose to stay behind their individual fortresses.

Kung sa ngayon, may mga hotels tayo sa Metro Manila at sa labas ng bansa na nagtatanggal ng contractual employees dahil sa global financial crisis, ano pa kaya kung dumami ang biktima ng swine flu?

Our OFWs especially those engaged in household work and agricultural services are just as vulnerable. The latter because we do have a lot of agricultural and meat processing workers overseas, and the former because they are often the last to be reached by information because of their work circumstances. Also, if their employers travel often, these household service workers would be the first to catch the virus when they get home. Now, do you think that all foreign employers shall be as caring as you in seeing to it that their foreign domestic help gets the best hospital care?

Our department of health has a pretty good record in dealing with SARS, and other extraordinary medical challenges. We also commend the cities and municipalities that have taken a pro-active role in ensuring that their constituents would get the best protection if swine flu breaks out in the country. Let’s hope that our luck holds in keeping this away from our borders.

Am I being alarmist? I don’t think so. It is important that we confront this health problem and its implications on our own economy and the state of our workers here and abroad, before a pandemic status is declared, which we all should pray not to happen.

Our Philippine Embassies and Consulates must reach out to Filipino community leaders and domicile workers and inform them about the swine virus, its symptoms and how one can at best protect himself or herself.

A prevailing global financial crisis plus a swine flu pandemic equals disaster for a floundering economy and an ailing health care system, in the Philippines and elsewhere.

Forget Cha-cha. Ignore the mudslinging among and between politicians. A vaccine-resistant flu virus may yet plunge the whole world into the deepest depression ever. We have Filipinos living in Mexico, the United States, South Korea and New Zealand, where swine flu cases have been reported. A pandemic spares no one, because even if we declare ourselves to be swine flu-free, risk aversion shall be the name of the game not only in corporate boardrooms but in households, big and small, across the globe.