Pandemic ka lang, I am Filipino

An account on what one teenage Filipino witnessed during the global pandemic and how her people fought to survive.

Beyond its breathtaking islands and unparalleled environmental richness, the Philippines is recognized across the world for being home to some of the happiest people on the planet. Filipinos always seem to be enthusiastic about life, regardless of whether we are amid battles or on smooth sailing seas. Our optimism is not a byproduct of our lack of care nor sheer gullibility. Filipinos smile through everything out of faith, hope, the undisputed ‘bahala na’ mentality, and simply because we are Filipinos.

“Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw how Filipinos remain resilient.”

At the onset of the lockdown, millions lost their jobs as companies cease their operations, thousands were displaced from cities back to their provinces without the certainty of better financial opportunities, and many of our countryfolks could barely put food on the table. The pandemic urged everyone to adjust to a new normal and face the world in masks and shields every day with the discomfort of unseeing the real enemy.

Everyday activities are no longer as convenient as they were before the pandemic. We Filipinos, who are closely-knitted to friends and even to the most remote family members, learned to socially-distance ourselves. The usual family and celebratory gatherings were prohibited. Roads that used to be jammed with never-ending traffic and streets that used to roar in the middle of the night from karaoke machines were like occurrences from the long past. Even cities that never seemed to sleep finally took their rest.

On the brighter side, the environment took the opportunity to heal. One of the biggest blessings brought by the pandemic was the chance for nature to regain its glory. The absence of tourists from all around the world, flocking to world-renowned tourist spots made a huge difference. Animals, who were natural inhabitants of such beaches, rivers, and forest trails, came back to reclaim what was theirs now that the intruders were confined to their houses.

Additionally, the pandemic paved the way for families who haven’t seen each other for long periods of time and gave them a chance to bond again. Busy parents, who used to work up to 12 hours a day and waste time sitting in traffic, now have the opportunity to spend more time with their children. Filipinos took the time to stop, reflect, and rethink their priorities, filtering out what and who were truly important.

Despite the nationwide resiliency, I also witnessed areas that had much room for improvement. On the other side of the coin are the Filipinos who saw that not everything that we’ve come to know of the Philippines and its system is insufficient. Turns out, our system is not fully equipped to handle a pandemic in an archipelago of over 106 million Filipinos and thousands of heavily-populated areas packed with countless households. When the first community-transmitted infection reached the slums, we knew that the virus would spread like wildfire.

“The country looked and hoped that the government would come to its rescue.”

They did their best in containing people, distributing temporary relief, and legislated laws to keep people safe. Still, their efforts failed to address every problem in society but it’s understandable since were disrupted by an unprecedented problem. Filipinos demand of a better healthcare system, tangible plans for the education sector, better opportunities and compensation for frontliners, and more innovative jobs for the jobless.

However, the answers and envisioned solutions seem to lie far off into the future. Changes don’t happen overnight and Filipinos are well-aware of that. But the aspiration for better tomorrows remains intact in the hearts of everyone. The brave continues to make their voices heard in hopes that once again, the change will come as it has in history when heroes stood up for what’s best for the people.

The dynamics of the political climate have changed and being a Filipino youth today is far from what it used to be in past. We now have technology at the palm of our hands; a digital space always open for conversation. As a generation who grew up with social media, we should leverage platforms to make our opinions heard. Politicians are no longer mere portraits hung on classroom walls but are actual, social media users who are only a personal message away.

We are the generation who first witnessed how it is like to pursue our studies amid a pandemic. But the crisis did not stop us nor our teachers. We were eager and we learned to brush it off as if saying, “Not today, #COVID-19,” although multiple health risks were knocking at our doorstep. For the ordinary Filipino, the efforts of the youth may be strange as some of us climb roofs and trees to join conversations. Still, we do them because we’ve witnessed how professionals have fought for the county. Frontliners have unknowingly inspired us to impact society and take part in keeping everyone safe.

The youth may not have the resources or all the knowledge in the world to solve the problem, but we are listening; we are watching. We, the Filipino Youth are learning from what we see today and are making our own judgment on what traditions, attitudes, laws, and practices are worth keeping. And to COVID-19, we the Flipino Youth are striving. After all, we’re not just kids; we’re Filipinos.