REBEN NIÑO CHESTER E.

TAN
Performance Task in English 7
Feature Article

LABOR NEVER STOPS

“Honor the dignity of work not only in words, but deeds - not only once a

year, but everyday,” says United Nation’s Secretary General Antonio Guterres in his

statement on the International Day of Labor last May 1, 2020.

In said statement, he recognized and honored the laborers, most especially

those that were then often neglected but are now taking the lead as front liners during

this pandemic. When we need food but cannot go out, who do we rely on? - the

delivery drivers. When we need to go out, public transport drivers are there to

transport us to our destination. When we need food supplies, we buy from market

vendors, or even get assisted by supermarket employees. Teachers are also at risk as

they have the duty to ensure that we have our reading materials. Call center agents

helped our economy going despite the lockdown. And most especially, the health care

workers such as the nurses and doctors give everything to save those infected by

Covid19 despite the great possibility and risk of getting the infection themselves.

They are our front liners, and along with the other laborers, they truly deserve our

appreciation and support.

It is no doubt that the pandemic made the lives of the people more difficult

and complicated than it is before. Many people died, some business were forced to

close, the economies dropped, and more than 300 million people lost their jobs. Most

of these people are employees of business establishments whose primary income

comes from their employment. Without their jobs, they are more likely to experience

unbearable hunger everyday and other challenges of the same kind.

To surpass these challenges, the people stripped of their jobs need the support

of the government and of other people as well. One cannot fight this pandemic alone.

As the United Nations Secretary General said, the world seeks to build back better

during this pandemic. Hence, people must help one another and while the pandemic

greatly affected everything especially the labor force, people who lost their jobs must

not lose faith that everything will turn out right and better in the end.

There is no better way to celebrate the world’s labor day than to give thanks

and honor for the service that the laborers have rendered and are still rendering to the

world. We should honor them not only by giving appreciation and encouragements

but also by helping them through simple deeds. The laborers deserve all the support

that we can give because when the world suddenly stopped because of the pandemic,

they did not.