Case Study: COVID-19 Response despite Finite Resources in Barangay Carmen

East, Rosales, Pangasinan.

Barangay Carmen East, is a one of small barangays in Rosales, Pangasinan,

with estimated IRA of 3.7 million as of 2019 budget. Due to limited resources, Carmen
East was straggled in first quarter of 2019 as the Coronavirus came in the Philippines,
lot of establishments, businesses, and jobs were forced to close.

As the National Government mandates under R.A. 11469 or also known as

Bayanihan to Heal as One Act of 2020, the President is given the power to ensure the
availability of credit to the productive sectors of the economy especially in the
countryside through measures such as lowering the effective lending rates of interest
and reserve requirements of lending institutions. These IRR mandates all covered
institutions to implement a 30-day grace period for all loans with principal and/or interest
falling due within the ECQ Period without incurring interest, penalties, fees and other
charges. The initial 30-day grace period shall automatically be extended if the ECQ
period is extended by the President. The covered institutions are: banks, quasi-banks,
non-stock savings and loan associations, credit card issuers, pawnshops and other
credit granting financial institutions under the supervision of BSP, SEC, and CDA, public
or private, including the GSIS, SSS, and Pag-Ibig Fund, there for many of our
constituents survive every single day of pandemic.

With the challenges given by the COVID-19 pandemic, we Filipinos are living
through a national crisis the likes of which hasn’t been seen in many years. The
enormous scale of the crisis and the impact it is having are naturally causing a lot of
fear, hunger, poverty, uncertainty and anxiety across the country. Add social isolation,
disrupted work and family routines, home/apartment boredom and economic instability,
and it is understandable that our mental health is suffering. According to the WHO
(World Health Organization), In the Philippines, 3.3 million Filipinos live with depressive
disorders, with suicides rates of 2.5 males and 1.7 females per 100,000 persons,
according to the Department of Health (DOH). The World Health Organization (WHO)
also reported over 2,000 cases of suicide from 2000 to 2012, most of which involved
people aged 15 to 29 years old. Among Filipino youth aged 13 to 17, 11.6 per cent have
contemplated taking their lives and an alarming 16.8 per cent have attempted to do so.
There is a scarcity of mental health professionals in the Philippines, with only a little
over 500 practicing psychiatrists with a low salary income, no or few will take the
challenge to be one of them.
Communication Activities and Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic strikes in Bgy. Carmen East and the whole country,
the authority and constituents faced with four primary challenges: to distribute verified
health and safety messages rapidly, to adapt to the “New Normal”, mental stability, and
to support the daily living of quarantined/affected families.

Challenge Number 1: Factual Rapid Message Distribution

In generation today, news and information are widely accessible, thanks to computers,
the internet, social media platforms, and other technological advancements. Fake news
and hearsay remain at the top of the feed while we continue to fight for the lives of all
Filipinos. All the informants have the same perspective about lack of information and a
great deal of disinformation which resulted to anxiety and depression. But of the
informants mentioned that the local government unit, barangay council, and
Sangguniang Kabataan designated Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams
(BHERTs) to manage information from the national government and Department of
Health to local units in order to disseminate factual information to the constituents of the
said barangay.

Challenge Number 2: Adapt to the "New Normal"

The way we used to live has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown our
professional and personal life into disarray. It can be difficult to adjust to this new normal
when there is no clear end in sight and changes occur on a daily basis.
Physical distance, as well as excellent hand hygiene, have all become part of our
everyday routines. Because of the fast-changing world, we must be more nimble and
adaptable.
This is difficult - and even more so for those of us who dislike change in the first
place. Overwhelming ourselves and feeling out of control of our life can lead to
dissatisfaction and burnout. Most of the informants said that we must accept the
circumstances and respond rather than react to the situation negatively. Moreover, we
must give ourself time to assimilate new information and adjust to change. Also, we
should become flexible, open, and gentle with ourself and concentrate on what we can
do. Finally, we create new routines that work for us and be present in the moment and
concentrate on what we can do today.

Challenge Number 3: Mental well-being

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a significant impact on our daily life. One of the
informants mentioned that many of them are confronted with difficulties that can be
stressful, upsetting, and elicit powerful emotions which will fall into depression.
Generally, the informants enumerated some of the cause of stress to us like feeling of
despair, loss of appetite, out of focus, inability to sleep well, skin problems and mental
health deterioration. Public health measures like social separation are vital to stop
COVID-19 from spreading, but they can make us feel alone and lonely, as well as cause
tension and worry. Coping up with stress in a manner of positivity can enhance your
mind to become more resilient.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, it is common to experience tension, anxiety,
grief, and worry. Several informants revealed about the things that they are doing
despite of this pandemic. Like taking a break from news articles. Although it is beneficial
to be aware, hearing about the epidemic on a regular basis can be distressing; relaxing
by taking long breaths, stretching, or meditating and making an effort to consume
nutritious, well-balanced meals. In addition all the informants are willing to be
immunized with the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The informants
make an effort to participate in some other things that they enjoy. Tantamount to this,
they make connections with people. Discuss their thoughts and feelings with someone
they can trust.
Assisting others in coping and caring for yourself can better prepare you to care
for others. It is extremely crucial to stay in touch with friends and family during times of
social isolation. Using phone conversations or video chats to help others cope with
stress might make you and your loved ones feel less lonely and isolated.

Challenge Number 4: Support for affected families

Based on the conducted interview with one of the informants in the Rural Health
Unit (RHU) pointed out problems and hardships that patients faces after being verified
as COVID-19 positive and tagged along with members of the family and closest
individuals of the patient. One of the issues was the financial stability of the patients.
We all knew that the therapy for COVID-19, as well as the common flu, was not cheap.
The patients’ emotional support was the second issue. Expect a lot of conflicting
emotions. Naturally, we experience uneasiness and maybe panic attacks, especially if
we are aware that we would be facing this issue alone. Finally, medical assistance, the
government formulates new solutions to tackle this pandemic, but we are still in the
midst of it due to inexperience, incompetence, and a loss of track.

To sum it up, this global health threat demonstrates the value of being prepared
to prevent and control infectious disease outbreaks. It may also provide insight on how
to modernize disease control and prevention. While many of the participants discussed
the negative effects of the pandemic especially the scarcity of resources, as well as
their efforts to mitigate these effects, there was also recognition that the COVID19 crisis
provides the international community with an opportunity to rethink human mobility for
the greater good.