When I think about the situation right now, it almost feels unreal, like it’s a story being told from a history book or a plot of some twisted movie. Yet, outside my window is stillness and silence. People are afraid to step outside and online, there’s a rampage of breaking news on developments of the virus, what the government has done, and how the people are dealing with it. It’s an absolute chaos of a time, but as some cower in their homes and spread anger at those who are not staying at home, there’s you, the frontliners of society, who have chosen to brave the present outbreak.
This is a note of gratitude towards your sacrifices. Without your perseverance, everybody’s safety would be in danger.
To the employees working in groceries and drugstores, drivers, delivery men, and street vendors, we thank you for helping us despite the exposure to the virus. We know that during these trying times, the need for a daily wage persists and we apologize that you have to come to these terms. We apologize for the government, for all the people who have not seen the difficulties you experience every day in the fight not against the virus, but against poverty. Your perseverance strengthens our voice to call out the government for a more just and equal system.
And at the front of the outbreak stands the medical and health care practitioners who are most susceptible to the virus, yet have chosen to continue treating the sick. Being in the medical field truly requires something more than intelligence, it requires kindness and selflessness the most.
To the scientists, chemists and designers like Raul Destura and his team for creating the COVID-19 test kits along with the University of the Philippines students who are in the process of building a quarantine tent, your quick response and selfless intuition is a sign for us to believe in the strength and mind of the Filipino. Because of you, we are given a spark of encouragement to use our roles in society to combat the virus.
To the doctors and nurses who risk their safety in order to secure the safety of others and to the medical interns who chose to stay despite being given the chance to stay at home, your perseverance is what gives us hope that the day will come when the sick will come back home, when the roads will be safe again, and when people can roam freely without fear. Through your sacrifice, lives have been saved and given hope.
It is in these dark moments that we remember who we turn to when society needs it the most. For doctors and nurses, the virus is not the first of your sacrifices. Before the outbreak, you have always been faced with sick people, always at the risk of contamination. This sense of selflessness is natural to all of you. It is not merely a job requirement, it is a moral responsibility that you have willingly accepted. The strength and courage in that is one worthy of heroes.
…it is a moral responsibility that you have willingly accepted. The strength and courage in that is one worthy of heroes.
Now as you continue on with another day, we hope that more aid will come to your hands, that the government will listen and provide you with the necessary budget, equipment, and precautions. We hope that more of those who are capable can give you a lending hand and provide food and supplies for you. We hope that you come home to your families unafraid of hugging and holding their hands as well.
To the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19, one thing is for certain: when this virus ends, you will stand at the frontline of success, at the frontline of being the country’s saving grace.
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Writer: THEA TORRES
ART LEVENSPEIL SANGALANG
