Pay the Price

COVID-19 is not just a hazard to everyone’s health but it also perils wallets and bank accounts. Being a COVID-19 positive patient requires one to be tested, take medicine, be intubated, and be in a medical facility. Since everything about the disease is new to everyone, some of us might be curious of how much…

More than just a virus: How COVID-19 challenged the Filipino in us

Resilience. Unity. Optimism. Whenever we, FIlipinos, face difficulties, we make sure we get through it no matter what. The pandemic has brought upon us a lot of new ordinances and changes. Most of these changes challenged the Filipino in us. Nevertheless, we are facing the pandemic head on.  In Sickness and in Health  One thing…

Tulong, Hindi Kulong

Kinagabihan ng unang araw ng Abril, hinarap ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang bansa sa kanyang televised nation address. Ito ang kanyang unang ulat sa bansa at kongreso tungkol sa ipinasang Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Sa samu’t saring suliraning kanyang tinalakay, isang malinaw na mensahe ang ating nakuha mula sa kanyang mga bibig: “Gulo,…

Ayuda Salva Dia Saves the Day

“Pobre ya daan, ay keda pa gayod mas pobre [Life before the quarantine has already been difficult; now even more so],” said Mr. Joel Lagrimas, a father of eight and a tricycle driver in Barangay Bolong, Zamboanga City.  Like all of us today, Mr. Joel is grappling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as a…

Sinadanga’s Virtue of Self-Help Against COVID-19

Far north from Metro Manila, the Sinadangas of Sadanga, Mountain Province prove that their timeless tradition of self-help will keep their people alive amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sinadangas are part of the Bontocs, a tribe of animists in the Cordillera region who weren’t swayed by the conversion of our Spanish colonizers. Presently, however, most…

Beyond Metro Manila: #PPEforAklan

Ever since the start of the COVID-19’s global outbreak back in January, the province of Aklan was already at high attention monitoring the disease.  As one of the gateways to Boracay island, Kalibo, the province’s capital receives daily international flights from Wuhan City, China – the original epicenter of COVID-19. As cases of the disease…

Making ends meet: Why workers cannot just obey

Life has never been easy for Juan. Everyday is a battle just to provide food, shelter, and clothes for his family. Unbeknownst to some, a majority of Filipinos live on “isang kahig, isang tuka” basis. A majority of Filipinos are like Juan.  The implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine has paralyzed several businesses, affecting everyone…

UP Volunteers Release Free COVID-19 Sanitation Tent Design

SaniTents PH, A group of University of the Philippines graduates, contribute to the fight against COVID-19 by creating a free easy-to-assemble disinfection tent design. The first design prototype for tents was aimed to be affordable and executable by the local government units, private and public establishments, and hospitals to increase their safety protocols.  These tents…