Morning came and went. No barangay or city health officials came to fetch Auntie Liza or facilitate our tests. I called the barangay hall at 3 p.m. but the kagawad said they were waiting for instructions from the CESU, which was still looking for a hospital where they could bring my aunt for a medical checkup. Apparently, this could take days because hospitals were full. It did not not make any sense. I was close to breaking down during the call. “We have kids here,” I said. Buck sensed my impending implosion and took over the call and arranged for the barangay officials to get my aunt.
Finally, at 6:30 p.m., barangay personnel came to get Aunt Liza. When no one came to test us, I decided to call the private testing center again to schedule an appointment for tomorrow.