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10Humanity Restored Recovering Filipino resiliency amidst a ‘failed’ administration
(photos taken last April 2021)
Humanity restored
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A glimpse of Filipino resiliency amidst a failed response
Article by Venedict Miguel Photos by Venedict Miguel and Ira Marasigan
In the midst of a global health crisis, people learned to adapt and care of each other as they showcase the true meaning of humanity. Sufficing the needs of a commoner is indeed a huge plush moment for them while in return, they are only take what they need for a day to be able to serve a whole community.
In the Philippines, locals have established their respective community pantry, a stall where they display different goods that is free for all, to help those people who have been greatly challenged by the Corona Virus Disease – 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
However, according to thinktank’s survey report that Philippines scored the lowest among other Southeast Asian countries in response to the rising cases of the pandemic. This only means that Filipinos are getting more independent as evidenced by the community pantries, house to house relief drives, and other acts of giving.
“For me, sinusuportahan natin ang community pantry because kailangan ng mga tao ang tulong, pero hindi ibig sabihin na dapat iwan ng gobyerno ang responsibilidad nila sa bansang kanilang sinusuportahan,” Randolph Uy, a resident of Barangay Banaba West, Batangas City, said in a PHOENIX interview.
A HELPING HAND
It has been a tough year for most people as they have to fight several times just to keep their current jobs, while others did not make it to the cut off. Yet, they still managed to offer foods for other people on a daily basis.
In these trying times, with the second wave of Covid-19 surgency, locals have witnessed hope from the helping hands of those who have a lot to offer just to provide the needs of some families in their communities.
“Community pantry helps a lot lalo na sa mga walang trabaho ngayon. And ang nakakatuwa pa ay kumukuha lang sila nang sakto para sa isang araw nila,” Uy shared as he felt the needs of every locals.
Every day, Filipinos are becoming more and more independent rather than waiting for the government’s response to the present issue. Indeed, they have restored the true meaning of Filipino resiliency, even though in doing so, the incumbent leaders started red tagging these locals who have genuinely helped the society surpass the trials brought by this pandemic.
“Tayo na ang gumagawa ng paraan para mafill ang gap ng administration na ito. And pinapatunayan ng community pantry kung gaano ka-fail ang government natin sa service nila this pandemic kaya dapat ipakita nila na kumilos sila kesa sa pagpapahinto rito,” Uy stated.
In response to the virus widely spreading in the country, community pantries around the country have showed other locals that no matter how small you can offer, it will create a big impact to a person who needs it. ***
While the combat against the deadly disease is still on rise, locals tried their best to show compassion to their co-Filipinos in helping them survive daily. With pure hearts to serve, Filipinos began healing themselves in the midst of a fallen Covid-19 response.
(photo taken last December 2019)
Vials of Protection
Securing third line of defence from Covid-19 shots in the nation
Article by Phoebe Kathleen Rodulfo Photo by Ira Claire Marasigan Digital Artwork by Cedrick Suarez
Hope glimmers in times of uncertainty.
Acting as a shield, vaccines serve as the security blanket for the people of the country against the novel deadly disease.
With seven manufactured immunity shots, “It’s very important to emphasize is viable enough, since it produces different the manifestation of the Corona Virus Disease vaccination to protect the citizen from results based on the age groups within the 2019 (Covid-19) shows to be less, as it develops unwanted mortalities,” Areth Clarete Manalo, population. antibodies for the immune system to utilize when in contact with the virus, to be able to resist the infection. a Covid ward nurse from Batangas Medical Center, said in a PHOENIX interview. Additionally, last February 28, more than Moreover, Jamie Montoya, Department of Science and Technology Council for Health Research and Development Executive Director, half a million of Sinovac’s Coronavac has emphasized that a panel of experts evaluate LIQUID HOPE been shipped to the country, and on March 4, AstraZeneca delivered 487, 200 doses and 38, the data for the safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates, and assure the highest scientific
These immunity shots consist of Pfizer- 400 vials came last March 11. and ethical standards per group. BioNTech, AstaZeneca-Oxford, Sinovac, Gamaleya, Johnson & Johnson (J&J), and Novavax, which all provide a 100 percent protection from hospitalization, except Moderna which is still at a rather high rate of 97 percent. With the observance of the set 50 percent threshold of efficacy by the World Health Organization (WHO), most of the mentioned preventive medicines have passed, excluding only the three vaccines namely Sinovac, Moderna, and J&J. Prior immunization drives of the government was started at March 1, beginning at Philippine General Hospital. IMPORTANCE OF SECURITY Still, the efficacy of the Covid immunoboosters is on two factors, its capacity to prevent the infection and its prevention of the severe symptoms to avoid the deaths, as voiced by WHO that an indication of 50 percent “The FDA, as the regulatory body, gives the final approval and licensing of vaccines but will regularly monitor the vaccine program to ensure they follow the standards,” Montoya mentioned. On the dire situation that the country has been experiencing along with the deficits that the lockdowns brought, the vaccines will now act as the safeguards of the Filipinos to be able bounce back to the normal lives, which everyone has been waiting for.
“Not one vaccinated person has gotten sick enough to require hospitalization. Not a single vaccinated person has died of Covid-19,” Melvin Sanicas, a licensed vaccinologist, shared.
Moreover, with the complete inoculation for Covid-19, a person might be able return to the deeds that they used to do before the start of pandemic, like gathering indoors without masks along with other people who also got the vaccine shots.
Furthermore, as stated by the current evidence, fully vaccinated people are less to be infected of the virus without being asymptomatic or having no symptoms, which minimizes the spread of the disease to others.
