Amidst the Crisis

Written by: Canlas, Xandra Vir Gabrielle B. | COMM2B

Empty streets, no playing kids in sight, groceries stores almost empty, gates are closed, houses are too quiet almost like a ghost town, this is what the COVID-19 pandemic has brought us.  It was March 9 when the classes were suspended due to the growing number of positive COVID-19 patients. But no one has seen it coming when President Rodrigo Duterte announced and ordered a total lockdown or “enhanced community quarantine” that will start on March 15 and will originally end on April 12 but it was changed to April 14. Upon this order, many things have changed and different problems are starting to rise.

Never have I imagined that I would experience this kind of situation as of now because of this pandemic. What I realized is that, people become selfish, they have lost compassion and understanding because they have the means to survive. Some finds it easy to follow the rules given by the government to stay at home and to stop working. Some of us might be enjoying the lockdown we are experiencing but as we lie around and rest on our comfortable beds, have you ever thought about the people who doesn’t have the means to fight and go through life because of the lockdown that was ordered? Have you ever thought of the popel who deosn;t have homes and will eventually lie around the streets? Not all of us has the capability to keep going and continue life without working, and that’s the reality.

But in the midst of all these saddening reality, we can still say that there’s still hope and faith in humanity. Because of the government’s incompetence, various personalities, actors, vloggers, and content creators stood up and made a way to help our fellow Filipinos who are in need. Actress Bela Padilla announced that she is crowdfunding donations for street vendors. The goal was to raise 1 million but she ended up raising 3.3 million. The actress herself helped in distributing the relief goods among street vendors who are affected by the quarantine. On the other hand, various vloggers and content creators used their platform to help. AC Soriano (itsAcsLife) raised over 100k for our front liners and people who are affected by the quarantine. Anna Cay, donated rice to Batangas. Mimiyuh with the help of Lazada hosted a live broadcast online wherein every view is equals to 2 pesos that will benefit the Save San Roque and Caritas Manila. Lastly, Rei Germar raised funds for unicef and Kaya natin via IG live wherein 1 viewer is equals to 20 pesos. And Because of lack of support to our front liners who are battling to save us from this pandemic, Angel Locsin set up tents and rooms outside hospitals for them. Lastly, let us appreciate the fact that many of our fellow Filipinos who doesn’t have the name or the personality has reached out and helped through their many ways. This proves that at the end of the day, it is US who will continue to help each other in times of crisis.

But above all these, let us thank our front liners who are risking their lives and are continuously giving up things just to attend to our needs in this pandemic. May they receive the help and support they need as they go through their day-to-day battle.

This Pandemic surely showed us the reality. May this be an eye opener for us to see and change the way we see life and everything around us. This crisis and this battle that we are currently experiencing is not just about surviving, it’s not just about us thinking how we can survive because we have the means. But this is about us giving attention to those who are not capable of surviving. We may not be able to help physically but let’s use our voices to fight for what we all deserve. Let us not forget to be kind and understanding. And we may not be the reason why others would suffer. Let’s help in our own little ways and let’s not lose hope that this pandemic will eventually come to an end.  As the saying goes, there’s always a rainbow after the rain.

IS YOUR REFLECTION UNDER INSPECTION?

By: Maria Sofia Dimaculangan

            3 weeks of Quarantine.. I think?

It is quite difficult to tell the time and date now. There’s nothing much to do other than lay down, sit, sleep, watch something on your phone, talk to a few people, eat, sit, then sleep. It’s the same routine over and over again. It’s only been a few weeks and we’re already missing the outside world. What if the Quarantine period gets extended? What now? We die? I hope not! These past few days I was able to make every bit of time worth it. My mom has been doing her constant vlogs, (#Sweet Caroline is her channel in case you wish to see hehe.) my brother has been doing a lot of working out, my dad and I had been working most of the time. We play board games on some nights, maybe watch a movie or a TV show if we need rest from the news and even doing Google Assistant’s mini games. I am sort of treating these days as a form of “meditation” or “therapy”. I do a lot of yoga and a lot of intense sleeping so I can catch up on my lost routine. Honestly, it is a combination of a good and bad effect on me.

          Some people cannot live in this “being secluded” experience for an hour. How about those who cannot live through it for a month? I, on the other hand, have mastered the art of Introversion and being alone in isolation is probably a dream come true. I feel happier when I am in this so-called “solitary confinement”. More than you ever know.

    However I was not exactly mentally prepared to be isolated at home. There is constant stress at home that I could not deal with easily. In cases like this, I need to prepare myself in order to handle situations at home. Otherwise, I’d end up breaking down for days. Working at home maybe the most beautiful thing anyone can experience to just escape the constant traffic and rush hours. But for me, it is sometimes a nightmare. There are moments where I am being nagged and pressured to work in the middle of my school works. It is a struggle to keep up. Before, I used to spend all night working from 12am to 5am. Then, I have to prepare for school in the next hours. Some days were sleepless but bearable. Some days were miracles. Most of them are just appalling. Now, I may have a more flexible schedule, but being stuck in a place where I am stressed out the most is killing me. I tend to have more depressive moments nowadays and it becomes unbearable because I feel more stuck. I try my best to get distracted, deal with my emotions and act normal, but I can’t do it all.

E-learning has become a great distraction and finishing some school works early enables me to adapt more to the current situation. We don’t want to spend all day stuck into something that is making us constantly worry. We need other information in our heads. It needs to be filled up with a different brand of gas or a different pizza topping. As much as possible, we shouldn’t let the crisis get to us so much. If we wish to work out with certain problems, I guess this is the right time for it.

     As a matter of fact, being quarantined in your own home may have its moments, but it really depends on you on how to make it worth it. As I have mentioned, I was able to speculate and ponder about life more. If this is the endgame, am I going to regret something? Have I really made every moment worth it? Did I enjoy life too much or too less? If I turned the boat around, am I going to find a better stream? If I rode the plane instead, am I going to enjoy the first-class experience? If I traveled on land, is the long drive going to make my butt hurt? All these questions of what if’s makes life interesting. But if we keep asking, is it going to be worth it? Aside from life, maybe death is also a good and satisfying experience. If I died today, who would miss me? Am I going to get the funeral I wanted? Maybe I should set up a funeral plan for myself too. If I died last year just like how I hoped, am I going to regret it? I think I will. If I die next year, will people miss me? Should I die slowly or painfully? Or go do the fast way? Are the lives of the people around me would be better if I didn’t exist?  I think so. 

But no one can really tell. Which reminds me of an episode of The Fairly Odd Parents the other day where Timmy wished he didn’t exist and the lives of people around him were extremely great. I guess that episode spoke to me.  Just thinking about it now, maybe experiencing this lockdown at home is sort of a blessing in disguise.

So I can get closer with my inner thoughts and deal with all the voices in my head. Even in my head, there’s Social Distancing, but sometimes you can’t help it and you just break the rules in your head.  You have to work things out mentally before you deal with the external problems.

    If we treat life like the way we treat this pandemic situation, we will be losing a lot. If we keep hording these masks that protect us from any harmful exposure and the alcohol to kill the so-called germs in our heads, we become selfish to the people around us. If we start panic buying and leaving nothing else behind, we will be regretting that we took so much we never left anything for others. If we don’t practice Social Distancing, we can never learn the value of being independent and alone. My #1 concern is how we can be mentally ready in this Covid-19 situation. In times of crisis, we need back-up plans. We need to be prepared no matter how silly a situation is. As of now, we should spend the extra time speculating and making sure we are mentally healthy throughout the whole weeks that we will be spending under lockdown. We need to make sure that whatever happens, we are mentally prepared for any surprising and extreme circumstances and challenges that we shall be facing starting tomorrow. Just like Pizza.. When they come out of the oven, it is always the greatest experience despite the long wait. We need to be prepared when devour the toppings and its cheesy goodness. Is it going to be burning hot? maybe it needs more heat? or the dough is raw? What is your next step?

That is the question that we need to answer.

COVID-19: A Long Battle

By: Rumiel Casanova

As the year 2020 started, all of us had our own little hope that good things will come to its right place. We knew how destructive the previous year was, and our only light was a new beginning that’s coming our way. However, 2020 didn’t start the way we wanted it to be. In the first month of the year, everything seems to be in chaos and the world is losing its beauty.

And as of today, we are facing a serious global health crisis called Coronavirus also known as “COVID-19”. The name makes no reference to any of the people, places, or animals associated with the coronavirus, given the goal to avoid stigma. The outbreak of the virus, which began in Wuhan, China, has left tens of thousands sickened and more than 7,800 people dead. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic. 

As coronavirus continuously attacks the health and well-being of a person, it also attacks fear and panic because of the danger that it brings to the people. The government officials did what they needed to do in order to contain or delay the spread of the virus. They imposed a city lockdown in affected areas, closed most of the establishments, canceled the classes, provided food and health kits, and released ordinances that may further help their people. 

In the Philippines, as the city lock down is being imposed, some people take the situation lightly. They do not follow city ordinances and do not observe the social distancing rule. However, most people do their part and stay at home because it is clear that the Coronavirus disease is no joke. 

Personally, I clearly understand what is going on. I understand and I see the severity of this pandemic. However, I can also see that our country is not ready. Considering the lack of health facilities, we might not be able to contain the disease, if we still do not follow what the government told us to do. 

But, I also understand the sentiments of other people. Since we are not ready for this crisis, people in the marginalized sectors will be the most affected by this. The sad reality to this is that there are still workers who go to work despite enhanced community quarantine. They walk a long mile just to put something on their table.

And we can’t blame them.

We can’t blame them because we are not in their shoes. 

As we look at it from a bigger perspective, we will see how this would affect them in all aspects and how they needed to do this for the sake of living. 

I could still remember how this started from a little cancellation of events. In our school, everyone was shocked and some were happy because of the class suspension. Everything seemed alright at that time, since we had fewer cases back then. That day, I immediately decided to go to our province in Batangas. I was lucky because the general community quarantine wasn’t imposed in Luzon yet. 

Day by day the situation of the pandemic virus gets worse. Every day, bad news about COVID-19 comes in our way as we watch television or update our social media accounts. At first, I thought I’d be safer in the province because it’s away from Manila but because the cases are still blowing and spreading around the world, it also affects our lives.

My mother’s job as a teacher is also suspended because of the virus and it’s a big problem for us. We don’t have enough income to survive this pandemic if this will take any longer. My father goes to our farm to manage our business. Luckily, we are in a province where you can grow plants and vegetables to eat; that’s where we hold our hopes as of now.

We minimize the consummation of our food to make it through until the world wide problem is solved and ended. While the crisis is rising, the online class that the higher ups chose as our alternative learning tool also becomes my problem as a student. There are many online activities, online classes and online work load that I can’t do because of poor connections and lack of resources. Apparently, not every student is capable of buying their own connections. In this time of crisis, it is more important to allot our money to our food supplies and health kits than spending it to have a data connection. However, I appreciate the initiative and consideration of our professors because I know they are also having a hard time in dealing with this pandemic. They also have families to look for, and they have priorities aside from their students.

This is just one of the problems that every Filipino is encountering now. I know, there are many problems linked to this pandemic and we must not take this lightly because our lives are at stake. 

The coronavirus is deadly, but we should be helping each other in times like this. We must follow our government and health workers’ plea to just stay at home to contain the spread of virus. 

Most of all, in this time of pandemic, we must continue to pray and hope for the better days. Let’s continue to pray for our front liners who risk their lives to save our people. Let’s not hate but rather understand the situation of every Filipinos. Let’s continue to listen and pray that this coronavirus will soon end and after this, we must celebrate the life given to us and appreciate what the world has to give.

COVID-19: A Once-In-A-Century Pandemic?

Diana Yamashita

It has been years since a potent virus had become rampant and caused an outbreak across the nation. During the last 4 years, corona viruses have become the most notable viruses worldwide because of the occurrences of several recent deaths. The proliferation of the self-revolving infection occurred worldwide; in which the Philippines is also being affected.

In 2003, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or also known as SARS had been first identified in the province of Guangdong, China in 2002.

It is thought to be an animal virus from an as-yet-uncertain animal reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to other animals. After implementation of appropriate infection control practices, it brought the global outbreak to an end.

In 2012, another viral respiratory infection had been identified in the Middle Eastern countries. Middle-Eastern Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted between animals and people. Mainly it has been shown that humans are infected through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels. MERS-CoV has been identified in dromedaries in several countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

The origins of the virus are not fully understood but, according to the analysis of different virus genomes, it is believed that it may have originated in bats and was transmitted to camels sometime in the distant past.

2020 didn’t start off its year in a bed of roses. In January 30, cases of the pandemic reached the sovereign state confirming its first case in Manila.

Mass hysteria has been rampant since then. Panic buying of surgical and N95 face masks had been an immediate necessity for everyone resulting in shortage of supply in a short time frame.

They say that prevention is always better than cure, but it wasn’t always this unruly inside the Metro. Since the announcement regarding the first confirmed case inside the country, not only did people become precautious, but also paranoid.

News had been deliberately releasing statements and updates about the pandemic. Social media platforms have not become much of a help since fake news started to be prevalent and rampant. Over the time, the cases started to increase and it brought hysteria to the nation. Until the Department of Health officials publicized a new case pertaining to a local transmission.

“The DOH is currently exhausting all its efforts to identify others who may have come in contact with the confirmed cases to ensure that this localized transmission does not progress to community spread,” was the official statement from Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III.

Like the fall of the Berlin Wall or the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the coronavirus pandemic is an earth-shattering phenomenon whose far-ranging consequences we can only begin to imagine today. This much is certain: Just as this disease has shattered lives, disrupted markets and exposed the competence (or lack thereof) of governments, leading to permanent shifts in political and economic power in ways that will become apparent only later.

For the past few weeks of this global, novel virus that has kept us contained in our homes—maybe for a couple of months—is already reorienting our relationship with the government, the outside world, and even with each other.

In the earliest days of our coronavirus social distancing, we have seen how the people, government and the whole nation, unite and stand one amidst the warfare and tussle.

From schools, government work, down to the stock market, the pandemic greatly affected each one drastically. Global supply chains were already coming under fire, both economically and politically.

No doubt that, media, too, will change. Perhaps in times like this, we can use our time with our devices to rethink the kinds of community we can create through them and promulgate a healthier digital lifestyle.

We are entering the next stage of coronavirus now, where life will change and perhaps dramatically. Nobody should be blamed for unwittingly infecting others, obviously; we’re all in this together. Diaries will empty almost as fast as train carriages, as all but essential meetings are scrapped. But that’s just the beginning. We may be entering a grim, involuntary social experiment revealing which everyday habits and practices we’d miss if they were gone, and which could be swept away surprisingly easily.

Sa Hilaga ng Katarantanungan (Uprising batty Nuances)

Mark Joshua T. Apostol

There has been a worldwide crisis, and we cannot control the turntables. Why? Being sensitive to these facts is just as crucial at what we have right now. We have to be scared, and it is fractious: the roaring twenties were followed by the great depression which was followed by the new deal which was followed by world war two. The great hope is the pandemic will be followed by a mild recession, a more equal in opportunity economy, and a green new deal to supercharge that more emeritus economy and we skip world war three. And now,

It will bring about a huge shift from working in offices to working from home. We are way beyond proof of concept, and now with the coronavirus, we will be forced to dramatically expand this means of work. It will never return to where it was. This will change education at all levels forever, as free or nearly free internet education will become the norm. There will be a huge increase in online grocery shopping. Public transportation systems will surely grind to a halt, and private systems will likely be unable to just hold in place until it’s all over again.

This could be the biggest revolution both socially and vocationally of all time.

The possible turn downs of establishments, major factories, and contributors are just the least of the whirlwind shipment of an unwanted recapitulation event of 1930: the great depression to what is about to be served for this time of evolving drawback of humanities. Due to crossing over to other country’s notion about the pandemic, predicaments are already served tacky: there have been increasing outbreaks in major cities and in surrounding cities, so everyone is on edge. People are buying up groceries to where the shelves on the grocery are becoming very close to being empty. The family won’t go out to eat or buy groceries at an actual grocery store anymore now. Instead, everything is shipped out. Parents are very wary about the outbreak.

But the tragedy has held the boundary between online interaction for a private company, and online classes to universities and colleges. Like students across the country, our world was turned upside down when Manila announced March 13 it would be moving classes online amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and classes are set to start in full force ideally on April 15.

Is it the ideal situation? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But we have to make the most of it and that means taking our classes even more seriously. But sentiments about how online classes aren’t as effective I referenced an article from the Brookings Institution which said students who aren’t prepared for a class are more likely to drop out after taking online classes.

It’s easy to quit paying attention to online classes during Zoom calls. How many times have students turned off the camera and completely tuned out of their class? With all classes shifting online now, students need to buckle down and pay attention instead of just going through the motions after these unexpected hurdles. While we weren’t thrilled about online classes, we don’t have any choice but to buy into it now. Given the circumstances, it’s our only shot at education for the rest of the semester. And we have to put in our minds that this isn’t an extended summer vacation and we need to treat it that way.

Everything is crazy and unpredictable. Look how much has changed just in the last week. But we, as students, still need to stay locked in on school and getting through these last couple of months. Also, it’s something to do without going to the movies or eating at a restaurant.

It’s obvious there’s much more going on in all of our lives than there was a mere week ago. Our thoughts are cluttered with coronavirus-induced anxieties, worries for our loved ones, thoughts of adjusting to the life of social distancing at least for the coming weeks. 

This is a situation we’ve never seen before. In order for it to work, we all have to do our part, whether we’re the ones leading the online sessions or the ones paying attention to them.

And lastly, as part of our education on being informed to happenings, note to the self is the more real scientific information you have the better prepared you will be and the better source for accurate information you will be for those around you.

Let us just all keep in mind that misinformation and fake news about this pandemic can kill.

Wishing all everyone to keep safe, be healthy, and be more vigilant to our surroundings and people.

COVID-19 isn’t all Netflix and Chill, Brenda.

By: Patricia Suyat, March 22, 2020.

It’s been two weeks since the declaration of the suspension of classes and to be frank, I was quite enjoying the first few days. As an ambivert, I love being alone at times. The few days alone was nice, I had a good rest and so did some of my family. Then there was an announcement that the suspension would last longer than a month and I was already thinking of getting back with my job—since the current employee wasn’t available as he turned out positive to COVID-19. Few days more, it has been announced that classes will be made online. However, to me, it seemed like it overlooked a lot of factors.

I thought that the online classes would be light, taking into consideration not only those with limited resources but also those who also has other responsibilities. This has always been the problem we’ve been trying so hard to be addressed. Not only are we students, we’re also a family member and a citizen before even being students ourselves.

My very own parents still had to go to work everyday despite the situation. We also have a cancer patient at home and a relative who recently went overseas. Any chances that one of us might get the virus too? I’d never know. But at the very least, I am thankful that we’re privileged enough that we could afford having the cancer patient admitted to a private hospital.

All the personal frustrations aside, it is also frustrating how the current administration thought so lowly of public health and safety. The government kept on setting priorities aside and it is quite alarming. People are dying and yet we get bare minimum services despite having to pay taxes. Politicians still use this incident as a means to drag their political competitors down and make further publicity stunts. It’s unnecessary and stupid. This just shows the Philippine government’s incompetence, from LGUs to the executives.

I understand people’s plead for everyone to stay within their homes but that seems impossible for those who earn lower than the minimum, for those who live in the streets, for those living at lowest borders of society. Not everyone’s as privileged to just watch Netflix at the comfort of their homes not having to worry for the next month. For us who has family members still having to work just to survive for the next month, it is a tug-of-war whether we survive because someone risks their life just so we could survive or we survive because we all stay at home but we wouldn’t be able to eat. It angers me how people overlook their privileges. It angers me how the government claims that mass testing isn’t needed. It angers me how they receive private testing and its results approximately within 2 days while the masses need to wait for a week or so just to know their results.

This outbreak does not only affect those inflicted with the pandemic. People must also consider other patients who are set aside because of this. Not only those who have physical illnesses but also those who are mentally unstable. We barely know whether they still get the medicine they need or they are still able to reach out with their therapists or not.

Please check on your friends. Check on your family. Stay clean and healthy. And most importantly, check your privilege.

FINDING THE GOOD IN CATASTROPHE

by: Shamira Cruz

source: https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21183812/covid-19-coronavirus-homeless

Life Before the Catastrophe

The world is a very busy place. How an ordinary day passes by is a proof of how crazy being busy the people are with their everyday lives. Everyone has their own businesses they mind. If you are an employee, you usually work for not less than an 8-hour job. If you are student, you comply with what is asked of you. And many more different real-life roles everyone play. Roles that seem to leave us with no choice but to play. There is no space for such thing as slow pace as if each and one of us are called to always hustle- the system the world follows, and this is non-negotiable. Nothing can break the system. But that’s what we all think. And we are wrong. Not when an unexpected catastrophe hits the literal world and our very own worlds we are trying to build. 

Upside Down

It was December of the year 2019 when an outbreak in Wuhan, China started. And this outbreak has taken its toll on the rest of the world. It is the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (CoVid-19). The virus-turned-outbreak-turned-pandemic broke the world. From office-to-stay-at-home work set-up real quick. Online classes were reinforced to students. People were forced to break the usual routine of their lives for the promise of their own survival and safety. The virus is globally destructive. It  is catastrophic as it destroyed the human system. Worst, the magnitude of destruction reached even the communications systems. 

Epidemic to Infodemic

Everything literally changed. From how people interact and how they convey and also received the messages they are being fed with. As a Communication student, we are trained to have a sharper lens than of the others. We are trained to be more critical. Hence, be more responsible than the usual. After the world was hit by the CoVid-19, I just saw that the pandemic isn’t just the virus itself. But it is also how impulsive people react to everything they saw online. Of course, what else do we expect. People are caught off guard. They are forced to stay at home. And the pandemic is unstoppable. This is now the time of the media not just to fulfill their responsibility of making the people well-informed, but this is also a good opportunity for them to take the stage. But what suppose to be a good opportunity turned into another catastrophe. With the pandemic is also the birth of the infodemic. A lot of information is circulating online. Countless of media outlets have been constantly and endlessly producing contents. But when do media’s responsibility become toxic? 

In the midst of CoVid-19, the stress does not just come from the pandemic itself, but also with how people are coping up with the handful of news circulating online. They are left with no choice but to be exposed and digest because that’s their primary source on how to survive- if they are well-informed. Is it the media’s fault because they are overproducing and over-informing? Or is it the people because they are overreacting? The CoVid-19 may be novel but not how people react to it. Filipinos can’t handle such situation. Its ironic to say that with the aid of technology, people are more illiterate of its usage. How technology progresses do not guarantee the critical progress of the people. Media have been keeping up with the technological development but the people seemed to always be behind it. Thus, things worsen. More than the CoVid-19, there is already the incurable epidemic in the country. Fake news is not the name of it. Its incompetency, and it will kill everyone of us. 

Inescapable Message

CoVid-19, a word everyone of us would find it hard to forget. It is not just a word or just a global phenomenon. It is much more intense if we read between the lines. CoVid-19 is a message for the rest of the world. Its a message to each and everyone of us to learn the art of slowing down and that we don’t need such global pandemic to make such art as part of the human system. CoVid-19 is catastrophically good as it destroys us, not for good, but only for the good.

Heartbreak in the middle of an Outbreak: How prepared are we?

Anna Suzette H. Marinas | COMM2B | March 21, 2020

2020 started to surprise us with a devastating volcanic eruption last January, the death of US Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, and now, the unexpected and heartbreaking pandemic outbreak of Corona Virus Disease or COVID-19. Funny how this disease brought a lot of changes to the people and its environment.

March 9, Monday, when President Rodrigo Duterte decided to suspend all classes in Metro Manila inclusive of all levels due to the rising number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the country. That was during our midterm examination week. That time, all of us were jumping and shouting at Salon de actos because we can’t control our emotions. But now, we find this issue alarming and terrible. It was supposed to be a one week suspension only but the president eventually extended it into a month because of the danger that the virus may bring. Everyone went to the nearest stores and stock groceries such as noodles, canned goods, biscuit and even basic necessities like tissues and alcohols. Those insensitive hoarders didn’t know that they can save lives by merely buying just the exact number of alcohols and goods in the market. Unfortunately, the government was unprepared and vague regarding their next step to stop the spreading of virus which is implementing a local quarantine or lockdown which has started last Thursday on the entire metro Manila region from March 15 to April 14. Government officials seem to have no clearer idea than ordinary citizens. Less than 24 hours before community quarantine begins, most people still didn’t understand what it meant, including the health workers responsible for treating suspected Coronavirus patients.

Supermarkets were filled with panicked customers and a lot of bus terminals were crowded with residents planning to stay at their different provinces. Schools and universities were closed for a month, mass gathering are banned as well as mass public transportation. Some international flights were also suspended. To make this more effective, each household were given one (1) quarantine pass which allows them to buy food, medicines and other essentials for their family.

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Courtesy: Pinterest

Some universities agreed to suspend online classes due to lack of resources and equipment of students and concerns such as, no one is allowed to leave their household and go to the closest internet cafe or shops. I also strongly believe that online classes were somehow ineffective and useless. How can we say that a student can truly learn thru online if it’s more on complying not learning? It only shows that, we are in the middle of a world crisis yet, students are more concerned and focused on the deadlines and school works they must submit. I understand the importance of continuous learning and deployment of e-learning, however, the Colegio must also examine and consider their student’s concerns and conditions due to the quarantine measures.

March 19, Friday, after gathering all the data and surveys made by different student representatives, the Colegio has finally made their decision. They issued and memorandum stating that Letran must not suspend online classes, thus, encourage all the students to adapt the alternative learning methods. Minutes after posting this, the #SuspendOnlineClassesLetran has trended on Twitter. Students from different levels and departments tweeted their dismay regarding the given memorandum by the administration.

Courtesy: The Lance

This lockdown also changed our everyday routine. We tend to slowly adapt and change our body clock and explore new things because of our boredom. I started working out again at home and experiment different types of dish. Somehow, it gave us the time to bond with our family members. We will surely miss those moments when everything gets back to normal.

Upon making this blog, there’s one thing that bothers me.

“Are we still going back to normal?”

This one month lockdown has changed a lot of things. How can we be sure that during and after this lockdown, some people still have their food on their plates? Do they still have clothes to wear? Comfortable mattress and well-facilitated bedrooms? Indeed, this lockdown is only for the silver-spoon. #Privileged. I just wish that this government were equipped and prepared enough during this kind of crisis. It is easy to say that we, people, must stay at home to prevent the virus, but what about those people who needs to earn for their families? As per Gene Nisperos, an assistant professor at University of the Philippines Manila College of Medicine, the government does not appear to have “a clear, comprehensive outlook on what will happen over the next few days, much less the next few months.”

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Courtesy: Pinterest

Its really hard to just sit down, scroll your Facebook news feed all day and see heartbreaking news and updates from the media. The best thing to do now is to pray and hope for the betterment of everyone. Not only for the patients, but also our beloved country. No one can really tell when will this pandemic is going to end, neither the doctors nor the government. Let us all be mindful and use these chances to spend more time with our family, seek time in taking care of ourselves and be a concern citizen by disseminating right and credible news online. Thru this, we’ll be able to save lives and stop the panic of other people.

MOANING OF DEADLY VIRUS

Pinky Genove / COMM2B / ATTACK OF CORONA VIRUS

The deadly virus that spreading the whole nation that brings scared or death to every individual that sad to say, they  plenty people died in that virus. The government from the different countries and the different institutions are spoke and take in action to stop the deadly virus but they challenge towards what happen in our society like basic needs, healthcare, and so much more. The cases that we meet right now is very challenging even you are in home or not because of  being bored  at staying at home but being prepare and safety because as you can see in the news they still have so much more problem like are the poor people, enough tools and equipment for health care, spreading fake news, politicians and etc. In crisis happen in the Philippines and also in other countries is no longer joke because it’s pretty sad that even in the middle  crisis they act so immature and so selfish even in higher position or not. In what happen crisis of the virus that test to all of us that how we respond for  being smart and character. The only important  here crisis happens to us  boost the concern and care to others.

The crisis of the virus also affected the employees and the students life because first the employee’s affected their daily life in work that they have so much to do for the upcoming deadline , present to presentations to their bosses, they need money for their families expenses and personal needs.Second for the students that stop their learning towards in school like projects, quizzes, recitations, reporting, passing deadlines to their professor that  this virus affect the daily lives of them because its in their mindset and body to study and work because not focus on  and be achiever  but continue to learn more in academic and values. In what happen crisis in our society that all the people need to stay at home because it’s the rule of the government for the sake not have a virus because they called it “community quarantine”  and they need  more strict to rule and regulations in transportations,  curfews, social distancing and proper attire of wearing mask because they need it the most.

The people are always stay in tune in radio, televisions and any social media to come up to different information that happen in our surroundings this is serious that we thought that it’s only happen in books  nor films but it’s creepy happen in the reality because we need stay in the know because we don’t know what comes next because this virus until now that don’t know where they came from and how did form because it’s not like the Ebola that came from the involves of human and animals because it’s zoonotic disease.The crisis happen to us a just lesson that not about to be more hygienic but to take care ourselves trough inside and out and for what until now its lessen the hate of each other but the only thing we do is maintain ourselves be healthy in physical and spiritual.

In addition of this topic that it’s increase the spreading the fake news for what I observed in my whole weeks of my quarantine because it’s not helpful to us because fake news is not always  helpful  because of what happen crisis about NCOV-19,  they give to the audience another fear and panic because some of them they didn’t know how to deal and also the PNP told in the news they monitored because they warned those people who are the source of the spreading fake news through editing that change the poster that post of the news publication and news channels because they field in the media that most if them destroy their reputation towards the public. As a c communication that aspiring media practitioner that be advocacy of spreading fake news and help others by reminding about fake news because some of the people they didn’t notice the announcement of them. Be vigilant and seek the source first before to believe.

COVID-19 Pandemic: An Eye-opener

JIANNE PATRICE FELIX | COMM2B |LIFE IN LOCK DOWN WITH COVID-19

It’s quite hard to believe that we’re not yet through with the 1st quarter of the year and a lot has already happened. World War 3 went close to breaking out because of Iran and the USA, The Australian bush fires killed billions of animals and ruined their natural habitats. The passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter. And now, we’re currently facing the COVID-19 Pandemic.

courtesy of philstar global

COVID-19 is a new strain of virus that was discovered in 2019. It belongs to a large family of viruses that cause illness from the common colds to more severe diseases such as the MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The common signs of these include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. 

When we first heard about the virus, we thought it wasn’t going to get serious. We were still permitted to go to school. People can still go to work and anywhere they want. It didn’t last long, though. The cases in the Metro started to rise up. And with that, the office of the President of the Philippines eventually suspended the classes in Metro Manila and enforced a lock down in the region. All land, sea and air travel going in and out are temporarily suspended. He, then, announced that there will be a curfew starting from 8 in the evening up to 5 in the morning. I honestly thought that would be the case for the entire month. But it hasn’t been three days after the suspension of classes and the President already declared a total lock down. Public transportation is down and going out of the house without a valid reason is strictly prohibited. My mom has been working for a BPO company for more than 13 years. They would still report for work through holidays(even Christmas and New Year), typhoons and other natural calamities. But what made me confirm that this outbreak is serious is that, in all those years, this would be the first time my mom would get an actual vacation from work. And as someone who has witnessed those 13 years, I can say that this is on another level.

Ever since classes were suspended, I haven’t been out of the house. Me and my mom are stuck here. And since I have more time to spend on social media than what I actually need, I have seen various opinions about the pandemic. Some say, especially the ones who are compensated daily, that the community quarantine is a terrible idea because it won’t allow them to work. Others support the movement that the government made. And to be honest, we should really support it, but in the right way.

From what I have observed in the different social media platforms that I regularly visit, I noticed that people have a lot to say more in Twitter than Facebook. People from all around the world have joined forces in spreading safety precautions regarding the virus. They have shared their thoughts on how the virus should be controlled to minimize the people being infected and to minimize, as well, the casualties. And as what I have previously stated, there are people who are against the lock down. We sympathize with them and we should understand where they are coming from. But there are people that just get on my nerves. I have seen some individuals, obviously privileged, who are posting and sharing their unwanted opinions. These people, in my opinion, may have been too detached from reality. They called out those who aren’t following the protocols, saying they should “shut up” and “just stay at home” as if those people have a choice. What saddens me the most is the fact that most of these “privileged” individuals that were seen on twitter are public figures, celebrities, influencers and the like.

courtesy of Pinterest

Another thing that I find disturbing has something to do with the lack of compassion of most people. Trying times really expose those who will show compassion for people who are in need. When applied on a larger scale, I’m talking about those companies that would be considerate enough and understand the current situation we are in. The most appropriate example would be the company my mom has been working for for the past 13 years. I just wish that her company would compensate its employees despite not being able to report for work. It would be a grand gesture of repaying my mom for all those years that she worked diligently. Whether it may be a holiday or a natural calamity, she would always report for work because that’s the nature of her work. She’s not given much of a choice. But I’m also glad to see that there are companies that show compassion for not only their employees, but also the front liners and healthcare workers of this pandemic. I read an article that some hotels in Manila City are opening its doors to them. Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno stated that he had a talk with Sogo, Eurotel & Town, and Country to shelter front liners and healthcare workers that are living outside of the City. And it warms my heart to see that these hotels are gladly participating.

To be honest, I have never imagined that I would experience a pandemic in my lifetime. But here we are. So far, these are the only points that I have observed in this pandemic. With regards on the issues that arise on social media, I just hope people would always look at the bigger picture and should stop pulling each other down. All we want right now is for the virus to be stopped so that everything will go back to normal. And all we can do is to hope for the best and pray for a better tomorrow. What we need above all is discipline. People should also show compassion. It’s free to be kind.