CENDANA, SOPHIA

11 ARISTOTLE

https://www.sciencespo.fr/ceri/en/content/covid-19-and-strongman-rule-philippines

It was a busy day on the 2nd week of March, the year 2020 when the community
quarantine was declared on some parts of the country that needed security due to a virus, an
invisible enemy that entered the islands and was multiplying itself rapidly. Whether it was a
town known by the comfort of wind or a city composed of the busiest streets, everything had to
be held captive. Work was on hold, some learning places had to end the academic year. A 2-
week break was anticipated in hopes of eliminating an unseen threat throughout the areas that
were recognized to have positive cases of the COVID-19. To some people, it may seem to be
mind-easing to have a break- a time to lay under the blanket for hours, a time to pick up a new
hobby, spend the time watching movies all day. To others, it was a wreck-to all the parents who
gain their budget from working on a daily to everyone who lost their job, to those who cannot
handle the environment of their houses, and to those who feel as if they were alone.
https://www.untvweb.com/news/dti-may-paalala-sa-online-sellers-at-shoppers-sa-gitna-ng-community-quarantine/

Months into this ‘staying-at-home’ situation since the community quarantine was
declared, Filipinos, with the hardworking trait engraved into them, have attempted various ways
to gain budget for the daily. One of the top part-time jobs that have risen is online selling, and it
is everywhere. Online services have been in the zone especially now, considering that almost
every occurrence has been done on the web. Some of these common services that are usually
found on social media sites are food delivery services within your area, selling of pre-loved
clothes, or digital art pieces. Online shopping sites like Shopee and Lazada are the perfect place
to browse products during one’s free time, or even as a time killer. These services can be located
even in social media sites like Facebook, which developed a ‘Marketplace’ page exclusively for
selling on the app or site. With the expansion of the online selling community, it exhibits that
Filipinos will not let an invisible opponent drag them away from hope, that despite the pandemic
going on, they will find a way to survive.
https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-vulnerable-filipinos-fight-for-survival-during-lockdown/a-53258915

To others, the community quarantine may be a fun ‘rest’ or a time to do learn new stuff
or pick up new hobbies, but to those who are not fortunate enough financially, they are
experiencing the complete opposite to those who are privileged enough to not worry about
tomorrow, the following week, and the following month. Poverty just gets tougher in the
Philippines, considering the situation that is dominating us. Some families have been reducing
their meals because of budget, and most are just waiting for ‘ayuda’ from the government- which
was rough because sometimes, waiting to claim it was a big struggle, and most times, it won’t be
enough. The government’s response to the pandemic has been a series of catastrophes and
unfortunate events. Where do we start with that? The anti-poor mindset of the government,
wherein officials or personalities who were caught breaking health protocols easily get away
with the violation, while an individual who is just trying to survive the day instantly gets held at
gunpoint by the police and the military. The government’s incompetence, shedding the light on
all the other unnecessary issues, but refuses to open their eyes on a population that is descending
into hunger, on a population that is drowning in poverty. The citizens have been seeking for food
to eat. Instead, the government sent the military, shooting whoever they feel like shooting. Power
has become the priority, when the crisis at hand was about ensuring public health and safety.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/08/2040796/deped-focus-school-childrens-mental-wellbeing-during-
pandemic

To the Department of Education, learning continues despite the pandemic and all the
hindrances surrounding the ongoing devastation. Months after the community quarantine was
declared, DepEd has prepared different methods for learning this pandemic: online learning and
modular learning. But were they prepared? Constant news of teachers climbing roofs to reach
signals, students harming themselves just because of the burnout caused by this learning method,
and the lack of academic ease. Was this the preparation? As usual, it was an anti-poor move from
the government. Not all students are capable enough of learning through a screen. Not everyone
is privileged enough to have their own space at home, and not everyone’s house is a comfortable
space to self-study. Indeed, there was a lack of academic ease. Students aren’t just dealing with
only school tasks at home. Even before online school started, most are already not mentally
stable. Some may be dealing with their problems at home or personally, and the absence of
academic ease is a threat to a learner’s mental wellbeing. Health should be and will always be the
top priority.
https://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/mental-health-toll-coronavirus-pandemic-devastating-who

The first few sunsets that have sunk since the day community quarantine started were just
fine. But every day, it seemed that our view of the gradient red-orange-yellow sky has been
gradually becoming bizarre due to our state of mind taking a toll on how we perceive the lifetime
we are occurring in, how we get a glimpse of the world through our eyes, heart, and mind. The
COVID-19 pandemic has severely devastated everyone’s mental health. It is indeed a challenge
to keep yourself together at home, without your close friends around to keep you sane. It is a
challenge to not over-analyze every aspect of your life out of boredom or joblessness. All these
crises an individual is experiencing, whether it’s an identity or existential, are a result of staying
at home, locking yourself inside a roof, not risking yourself to catch the virus outside. The
mental state of individuals worsens as time passes by, and the way one copes may vary from
person to person and may not be healthy as well. Some may develop trouble in sleeping, some
may be holding on to their vices, and some may be staying in bed all day with their eyes on their
phone. The past few months on social media have been pretty tiring as well. Not a day has
passed that there has not been news about how wicked the government has been to the citizens-
we see it online, on the news, the media, the radio, everywhere. It was exhausting to even press
the remote, as the news was predictable at some point. The effect of the pandemic on one’s
mental state should be given attention to just as how protocols for safety and security against the
virus are implemented. Sure, staying at home will protect you from a villain that cannot be
sighted, but it doesn’t protect the mental aspect of a man from breaking a wall through their life.