Bookmark and refresh this page for updates

MANILA, Philippines  – In response to the spike in coronavirus cases in the country, the  government has placed the whole of Luzon under lockdown until April 30.

Other areas in the Visayas and Mindanao have followed suit, to help in the effort to stem the coronavirus outbreak. 

With this unprecedented period of quarantine, isolation, and uncertainty, experts have sounded the alarm on a potential nationwide mental health epidemic.  They predict that cases of anxiety and depression will be on the rise and the country's mental healthcare systems may be unprepared for this. (READ: Can PH cope? Mental illness cases tipped to surge during pandemic)

To help Filipinos cope in this time of uncertainty, several institutions and organizations offered to give free online counselling. 

The Psychological Association of the Philippines  listed centers providing this kind of service. The PAP said, however, that it has no information about the quality or extent of the services provided by these centers.

Here’s a list of centers providing free online counseling services:

National Centers

National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline (NCMH-USAP)
Provides mental health support for all affected by COVID-19 

• 0917-899-USAP(8727) | 7-7-989-USAP (827) 

Philippine Mental Health Association Online Support
Provides mental health support for all affected by COVID-19

• PMHA Facebook Messenger 
• pmhacds@gmailcom 
• 0917-565-2036 

Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services 
Provides online counseling and Psychological First Aid with priority given to frontliners 

• Email: bulataocenter.ls@ateneo.edu 

Philippine Psychiatric Association: Mind Matters

• 0918-942-4864 

PsychConsult, Inc. 
Provides online counseling for all affected by COVID-19

• (02)842-12469 

GrayMatters Psychological and Consultancy, Inc. Philippines 
Provides online counseling for all affected by COVID-19

• 0917-709-6961 or 0997-561-8778 

Circle of Hope Community Services, Inc. 
Provides telemental health services to promote effective coping and resilience for healthcare workers

• 0917-822-2324 or 0925-557-0888 

Mental Health First Responders (MHFR)
Provides free online peer and family support

In-Touch Community Services
Provides 24/7 crisis line for the mental wellness of all health and safety frontliners

• 8-893-7603, 0917-800-1123, and 0922-893-8944 

The Masters Psychological Services 
Provides psychosocial support services  

LUZON

UP Diliman Psychosocial Services (UPD PsychServ) 
Provides brief psychotherapy services for UPD students, faculty, and staff only

• 0916-757-3157 or 0906-374-3466
• psycserv.upd@up.edu.ph 

PGCA-Pampanga Chapter: Online Counseling for COVID-19 Frontliners 
Provides free online counseling services for frontliners 

SLU- Sunflow Children and Youth Wellness Center, Baguio City 
Provides mental health support for all affected by COVID-19 

• 0915-541-5501; 0928-832-6372
• slusunflower@slu.edu.ph 

The De La Salle University Dasmarinas Center for Applied Psychology
Provides online mental health and well-being support services to those affected by COVID-19

• 0935-751-9227 or 0919-499-8381 

COVID-19 Mental Wellness Professional Resources (Bicol Region) 
Provides telecounseling and professional resources to those affected by COVID-19 

Knox Cube Behavioral & Mental Health Center (Olongapo-Zambales) 
Provides counseling to healthcare workers and the community 

Psycore Neuro Testing Center (Isabela) 
Provides telepsychology services for all affected by COVID-19

• 0977-288-4563

VISAYAS

University of San Carlos (USC) Mental Health Online Support for COVID-19 crisis
Provides mental health support for all affected by COVID-19

University of San Carlos (USC) Mental Health Support for COVID-19 Frontliners
Intended for the volunteers of USC mental health online support only

Western Visayas Psychosocial Support for COVID-19
Provides psychosocial support services for all affected by COVID-19

MINDANAO

Camp Navarro General Hospital, Health Service Center, Health Service Command AFP 
Provides telepsychology services for all affected by COVID-19 in Calarian, Zamboanga City

• Viber: 0917-305-1891 
• 0966-691-6116 

Psycli-nik psychological assessment and intervention services 
NZUE Building 3rd floor, Room 3030 Tomas Claudio Street, Zamboanga City 
Provides telepsychology services for all affected by COVID-19 

• Viber: 0917-305-1891
• PLDT 955-8103 
• Psyclinik06@gmai.com; lolin_bajin@yahoo.com 

The HOFFEN CLINIC (Center for Mental Health and Psychosocial Development) 
Adventist Hospital Davao 

• 0951815 HOPE (0951-815-4673) | (082)-297-2761 loc 269 
• FB Page: Center for Mental Health and Psychosocial Development 
• centerformentalhealth@adventisthealth-dvo.com 

– Rappler.com 

Here are other lists you may want to check: 

LIST: How to help healthcare workers, frontliners during coronavirus pandemic
LIST: Groups providing transportation services for frontliners
LIST: Groups providing helpful information about the Luzon lockdown
LIST: Groups help vulnerable sectors affected by coronavirus lockdown

ALBAY, Philippines — A one-of-a-kind response to the coronavirus pandemic has been initiated in Sorsogon province. 

“Kindness Station” by Caritas Sorsogon is encouraging locals to practice bayanihan via its makeshift food station, where food packs are placed on racks, from rice, instant noodles, canned goods, and some vegetables and root crops. 

It's mantra? Take what you need, leave some for others, and give what you can. 

Since it opened on March 25 at the Buenavista Elementary School, its first partner area, donations have reached P70,455 as of April 5, benefiting "mothers and children, vendors who can't sell, tricycle drivers who stopped taking passengers, construction workers who can't go to work, and daily minimum wage earners who can't earn even a penny, and persons with disabilities," the Kindness Station said on its Facebook page. 

In another Facebook update on April 8, the Kindness Station said it has raised P154,759.00. The goods donated amounted to P109, 609 while the cash donation reached P45,150.

The group said that P25,000 from the cash donations will go to the personal protection equipment (PPEs) of frontliners in Sorsogon. 

Jean Lacsa, a school clerk, was among those who were able to get a kilo of rice and a can of sardines from the Kindness Station.

Lacsa said that others can get more items available depending on what they need for the day, adding that she finds the project helpful especially for the most vulnerable like the elderly. 

But even if her house is near Buenavista Elementary School, Lacsa said that she doesn’t intend to get every day so others can have, too. 

According to her, "it helped renew the spirit of bayanihan” among neighbors. She does her part by volunteering. 

Beyond giving

"At a time when we often hear about inhumanity and indifference, to set up the Kindness Station was probably a futile attempt to many," according to the group's Facebook post. 

Indeed, some people have wondered “how people can simply rely on their conscience to take only what they need?"

Others believed that the organizers should just give the goods away. 

Yet, despite the odds, Kindness Station forged ahead and set up the first of now several stations. They hope that "it would be able to feed not just hungry stomachs, but to feed souls and give humanity a chance."

"We thought it was worth a try, especially now is probably the best time to restore, relive and reintegrate kindness and generosity in every practice we have in our communities," the group said. 

Looking after each other 

Marilyn Jañolan, one of the donors to the Kindness Station and a barangay secretary, said the project is helping everyone become responsible for one another.

In the words of another beneficiary: "I won't get rice anymore because we still have rice and for others to be able to have their share."

Ditha Lacsa, another recipient, likewise said it takes discipline to practice that. 

Jañolan learned about the project when the organizing group had a courtesy call in her barangay, where she was the secretary. 

"Our barangay captain approved of it because of the help it would provide to our community and the ECQ guidelines would be observed, adding that it made the entire council happy since the town market was far,” Jañolan said.

So, she was also encouraged to participate by donating food items that were not yet available in the station, like biscuits, crackers, and sugar.

Replicated

This community-based charity movement is not only being replicated in other parts of the province but also in and outside the region. 

These include Legazpi City and Naga City, Negros Occidental, Negros Occidental, Quezon, Isabela, Puerto Princesa, Lanao del Sur, Ilocos Sur, Zambales, Cotabato, and Laguna.

The group acknowledged that soon, resources from the government and aid organizations will run-out, aid will cease and their collection boxes will be emptied. (READ: DSWD begins release of emergency subsidies to 4Ps beneficiaries)

But Kindness Station believed that empathy will triumph over greed and apathy when people regardless of social status are ready to do the multiplication of loaves and fish.

As it fully adhered to the quarantine guidelines, especially on physical distancing and proper hygiene and sanitation practices, it also looked forward to continuing the ripples of hope it created.

Why not? Its method is working- a localized humanitarian response where individuals and organizations are mobilized, in coordination with the local government, to reach the most needy, all while uplifting human dignity.

Irma Jacob, one of the organizers, said that they are now looking for a place to channel their goods for a start-up as a preparation after the lockdown when going out is no longer a challenge. 

Indeed, the Kindness Station is unlike the relief operations people are used to. It is inspiring the locals of Buenavista and beyond. 

As Jañolan put it: "I was giving because I wanted to help sustain it and be part of a community that helped one another not only in the time of crisis but always and every day. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "We light as one."

On Easter Sunday, April 12, various lights and sounds businesses in the country participated in a nationwide "We Light As One" lighting campaign to honor Filipino frontliners in the fight against the coronavirus. 

Their goal is to shine the light during this dark time brought by the coronavirus pandemic. As of Sunday, April 12, the number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines climbed to 4,648. 

The organizers also held a fundraising campaign and raised at least P1 million pesos to support healthcare workers in the front lines. (READ: LIST: How to help healthcare workers, frontliners during coronavirus pandemic) 

From Luzon to Mindanao, in a show of solidarity, various lights and sounds businesses lit up the sky from 7 to 8 pm. Below are some photos from the nationwide lighting campaign. 

Luzon 

WATCH: Lights and sounds operator Pro BeatBox Entertainment Concept Corporation dedicate this lights show to coronavirus frontliners on Sunday, April 12, as part of the #WeLightAsOne initiative, aimed to shine a spotlight to the frontliners battling the outbreak in the country. pic.twitter.com/MLB9A18PAt

— MovePH (@MovePH) April 12, 2020

Salute of Lights for our dear frontliners in Mt. Samat, Bataan#WeLightAsOne#WeHealAsOne#SaluteToFrontliners

(credits to Mt. Samat FTEZ) pic.twitter.com/U0jY3ZBLgg

— (@jamezniel) April 12, 2020

Salute of Lights for Frontliners.
Mt. Samat in Bataan.

Mabuhay po kayo! #WeLightAsOne#WeHealAsOne#SaluteToFrontliners

Credit to Mt. Samat FTEZ - Mt. Samat Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone. pic.twitter.com/tHi0uHyTa3

— Sam Lee (@iamHANDSAMLEE) April 12, 2020

Visayas

There will be better days. If you happen to look out at the Dumaguete night sky now, this is what you will see: clouda-breakers in tribute to our medical frontliners, from the #WeLightAsOne campaign. Shared by Marvin Ting. Be safe, and stay at home, Dumaguetnon! #DumaGetMepic.twitter.com/kZ29serdCU

— Dumaguete Tourism (@DgteTourism) April 12, 2020

Tonight we light up our City's Heritage Zone as we join the Lights and Sound Industry in the Philippines in an hour of Solidarity for the benefit of our frontline health care workers fighting COVID-19.#wehealasone#welightasone#RoxasCityUnitedpic.twitter.com/6v7FCzZNSz

— Ronnie T. Dadivas (@ronniedadivas) April 12, 2020

Mindanao

In General Santos City, blue light colors the night sky on Sunday, April 12, to honor the work of frontliners battling the coronavirus. It's part of the #WeLightAsOne initiative led by those part in the sounds and lights industry in the Philippines. Photos from Nathan Solis pic.twitter.com/LvvAaG0gZC

— MovePH (@MovePH) April 12, 2020

LOVE FOR OUR FRONTLINERS.

Down Low Lights and Sounds in General Santos City leads a tribute for frontliners on April 12 by forming a heart with lights, in solidarity with other lights and sound operators in PH for the #WeLightAsOne initiative. Photos by Michael Bren Evangelio pic.twitter.com/KMH0vb3ArE

— MovePH (@MovePH) April 12, 2020

Rays of light can be seen from Cotabato City on Sunday, April 12, as MIA Sounds and Lights joins the #WeLightAsOne initiative to honor frontliners in the Philippines battling the coronavirus. Photos from MIA Sounds and Lights #COVID19PHpic.twitter.com/Ih2YMlB4sN

— MovePH (@MovePH) April 12, 2020

– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines– University of Santo Tomas (UST) engineering faculty have designed the logistic indoor service assistant (LISA) robot to help minimize direct contact between frontliners and patients with COVID-19, the coronavirus disease.

Engineering assistant professor Anthony James Bautista and Thomasian cardiologist Rodrigo Santos spearheaded and conceptualized the project with the UST faculty of engineering.

“The idea was to build a low-cost, and-easy-to-build telepresence robot,” Bautista told the Varsitarian, the official student publication of UST.

The telepresence robot allows frontliners to deliver medicine and communicate with patients remotely.

The equipment uses a tablet device with internet-based communication platforms such as Zoom, Viber, or FaceTime to allow communication between health care staff and patients. (READ: Pisay appeals for help to produce 3D-printed face shields for health workers)

The robot is set on a mobile base controlled via remote, allowing it to move in different directions.

It also has a compartment box for delivery of medication to conscious and stable patients in the hospital.

By minimizing physical contact, the robot may also help in conserving the use of protective personal equipment. (READ: EXPLAINER: The PPE keeping our healthcare workers safe)

The Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST – PCIEERD) has expressed interest in funding the project for 3 months, Bautista said. (READ: 'Medibot' to do rounds on Malaysian virus wards)

The LISA robot is in the pilot testing stage, but Bautista hopes that with improvements and support from DOST PCIEERD, it will be ready for hospital use. – Rappler.com

This article was first published on The Varsitarian website. It has been republished and edited on Rappler with permission.

The following is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Read Part 2, a reflection by social anthropologist Mary Racelis, here. 

Our world has changed a lot since COVID-19. People have to stay inside their houses. That means anywhere from 8 to 15 family members occupying the same very hot and crowded one-room space 24/7 – sleeping, eating, bathing, and everything else. People want to go outside but cannot. So they hang around the back of their houses and just chat. In our place they can’t congregate outside their front entrance because that would put them right on the street. 

As a Kagawad as well as PO President, I walk around telling people the lockdown requires them to stay indoors. Although it’s for their own safety, it’s hard to enforce. They shout all kinds of insults and pretend to comply, but I know that the minute I turn the corner, they venture out. People are really desperate because their families are hungry yet they cannot go out to work to buy food. It’s very hard for us barangay officials to control that anger if they have nothing to eat. That’s why it’s important they receive food, water, medicine, masks, and other necessities fast. That will make it easier for us to convince them they must stay home. (READ: 'Walang-wala na': Poor Filipinos fear death from hunger more than coronavirus)

So far, there are no COVID-19 cases among our 1,500 families. We do have the usual illnesses like diarrhea and fevers. Now though, when someone has a fever, the neighbors won’t go near anymore. We took one person to the hospital but the doctor sent him back home with instructions for self-quarantine. I was shocked when we brought the person back to the community; some people protested and didn’t want to let him in, fearing contamination. I had to threaten them with arrest if they prevented him from entering his house. It turned out to be just a regular fever and he recovered. Two others persons also had high temperatures but these again turned out to be ordinary fevers. 

The barangay has used some of its funds to help out our people but these are limited. The city and the Mayor have provided food packs. But how long will sardines, canned goods, and 3 kilos of rice last for a family of 8? Probably not even a week. Then what? As of today (April 2), the national government has not yet sent any assistance to us. 

What really complicates the situation are the TV programs where national officials announce that certain goods or cash are coming. People are relieved and hopeful, believing the items are on their way. Then a week goes by. Then another. They hear and see nothing more. That’s when their lingering fears and frustrations boil over. I explain that it takes time to organize the whole system to be sure those who are entitled are the ones who receive the money. But insecure and hungry people don’t easily accept that. Some shout at me asking where the money is, accusing us as government officials of keeping much of it for ourselves. They even taunt us as “KUPIT-19” (Pilferers-19)! That hurts! I really worry about maintaining order if the growing anger turns violent. 

Part of the problem stems from the confusing procedures for listing qualified recipients for assistance.  Last February, for example, we submitted to the municipal social welfare office our updated list of over 1,500 vulnerable families in 1,292 households. When the DSWD announced the Social Amelioration Compensation cash grants of P5,000 to P8,000 for vulnerable groups and those who lost their jobs or livelihoods, we were proud that our community profile was ready. But DSWD brought only 1,200 SAC forms, leaving out the remaining 92 households plus the additional 308 families in structures with two or more families.

It turns out the list the DSWD used for the SAC form distribution was not the one based on our household survey of families. Instead they relied on another list we had compiled for the issuance of quarantine passes during the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). There we were instructed to count only the number of entrance doors because only one quarantine pass would be issued per structure. The designated person would thus be the sole member allowed to leave the house. (READ: Duterte chaos leaves barangay officials 'helpless' amid lockdown)

To our surprise the quarantine roster has become the official list for the SAC. We had a hard time explaining the mix-up to the people. The households with more than one family were really angry, since they assumed the SAC criterion favored families rather than households. DSWD did accede to our request for 300 more SAC forms which we promptly completed and returned. We don't know though whether the national and city governments will recognize these additional entries because of DSWD’s insistence on the one-household criterion for SAC distribution regardless of the number of families or members in it.  Even the Mayor based his P1,000 cash assistance on the quarantine list of households rather than the family profile. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Challenges facing social amelioration for the coronavirus)

When we realized the gap, we decided to divide up the money he provided so that all families got P500 supplemented by a half sack of rice, which we asked the Tsu Chi Foundation to donate. You can’t keep relying on the government for everything but have to use your own imagination to look for additional resources. That’s what leadership is about: when you see a problem, you fix it!  

For me, it is terrible to look into the eyes of hungry children. Although poor families in a community like ours have always faced the problem of feeding their children, this time it’s different. Their parents cannot go out to earn and buy food. So they simply wait for government relief and other donations. I’ve reached out beyond government to all my outside contacts including NGO friends like COM, FDUP, and the church. They help and also put us in touch with other groups donating goods and cash. 

If I were to send a message to the President that would reflect what our people are thinking and saying, this is what it would be:

Mr President, just instruct your officials to tell the truth about the kinds of relief national government can actually give us. Don’t let people build up their hopes then leave them disappointed; that is what makes them angry. Don’t permit the government to make promises it doesn’t fulfill. Better still, make those promises come true – and fast! – Rappler.com

Jonjon S. Elago is Kagawad of Barangay 286, Del Pan Bridge. He is also President of the People’s Plan Ville Home Owner's Association. 

While doctors are savings lives, teachers should be harnessing critical thinking online, especially now that more people are interacting on social media given the lockdown. And to do that, teachers should also be champions of information and free speech.  

But it seems like the opposite is happening, as the past days have revealed many instances of teachers sharing fake news, curtailing free speech, and expressing anti-poor sentiments. 

On April 5, Joshua Molo, the 20-year-old editor-in-chief of UE's The Dawn, was threatened with cyberlibel by his former high school teachers following their heated debate on Facebook on the plight of the poor during the lockdown. Jun Ainne Francisco, the teacher who got Molo blotterred, actually frequented the National Schools Press Conference (NSPC), the biggest competition for journalism for both private and public elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines. (READ: Campus journos 'defend press freedom' during NSPC 2018 awarding ceremonies)

Another teacher who frequented such conferences justified, on the Facebook page of ACT Teachers Philippines, the warrantless arrest of a fellow teacher in General Santos City for airing out grievances about the slow distribution of relief goods by the local government.

Why would journalism teachers – the ones supposedly upholding press freedom and freedom of expression – act against their students and fellow teachers for expressing their views? What kind of training is being given during the NSPC? Shouldn't the conference consider reevaluating its competition-centered approach and go back to the basics of journalism, which definitely has nothing to do with keeping mum amid state repression?  

Worse, this behavior is not limited to journalism teachers.

On April 7, a teacher posted an old photo of people rallying in the streets, thinking it was taken during the duration of the "enhanced community quarantine." Facebook user Wynona Villa then called out her mistake, but instead of taking down her post, the teacher replied: "Whatever wlng pinagkaiba s social media yn" and "Ano ang fake news s mga galit s president? Baka isa k s knla nak. Post ko to pde mong iunfollow if u want." When Villa insisted on explaining the dangers of posting false information, the teacher accused her of disrespect.   

Moreover, this teacher also tagged the protesters in the photo as "#mgaAnayngbayan."

How some teachers still hang on to this false sense of authority says a lot about the local education system: that it still observes a feudal approach, and that teachers are still averse to criticism. Until teachers learn that dissent isn't equal to disrespect, they will not be able to accept this dissent, much less welcome it. 

There is one instance, though, that has been the most alarming by far: when Genaro Gojo Cruz – a teacher from De La Salle University, a children's book writer, and a known supporter of the Duterte administration – posted an open letter to the Filipino poor on April 7. The letter primarily preached about how the poor should spend "taxpayers' money," pertaining to the current social amelioration program of the government. "Magkaroon po sana kayo ng pangarap," he wrote. 

Garnering over a thousand reactions, Cruz' open letter posed a danger of peddling anti-poor perspectives especially among students, teachers, and readers. As a teacher, he betrayed his duty to inform and be informed by implying that only employees pay taxes, as if the basic necessities purchased by the poor are spared from tax. As a writer, he refused to be the voice of reason. He willingly embraced a narrative that creates further divisions among people. He chose to betray the social class he claims to have come from.  

Looking at these educators' blunders takes us back to Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970): "The educator has the duty of not being neutral," to initiate speech when there is an order for silence, and to encourage others to do the same, because dissent itself is duty in the face of repressive authority. The educator has the duty to empower the disempowered.  

But many of us teachers are disempowered ourselves – overworked and mired in debt with our low salaries. We receive limited relevant training, materials, and other forms of support from the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and our respective workplaces. Despite these, we seldom exercise collective dissent. (READ: [OPINION] Glorified but ignored: How to truly honor our teachers)

To heed our duty, we have to free ourselves from backward perspectives. But we cannot fulfill such through silence and submission. And we certainly cannot do it alone. 

As mentioned earlier, a teacher named Juliet Espinosa was illegally arrested in General Santos City. She was charged with inciting to sedition for speaking up for people dying of hunger due to government neglect. 

Clearly, they had the audacity to charge her because free speech is not as free as we think, because its exercise remains rare especially among our ranks. 

Let's hold hands and turn that around. During this pandemic, let's be doctors to those who've fallen into blind submission, a dangerous contagion that has targeted the mind. – Rappler.com

Roma Estrada has been teaching for a decade. 

It was around 2 am on March 16, 2020 when I found myself outside the ER of a hospital near my Antipolo residence. It was the second day of the metro-wide community quarantine.

I explained that I had been suffering from diarrhea the past two days and vomited prior to proceeding to the hospital.

While in the ER, they took a stool sample, hooked me up to an IV, and allowed me to sleep for two hours. 

Since the results of the stool sample showed no trace of bacteria, I was prescribed medicine and oral rehydration salts and sent home. 

On March 22, 2020, I was back in the ER. I still had diarrhea. The ER doctor took note that I was coughing and had a cold. The decision was made that I should be admitted as a PUI.

Unfortunately, the hospital could not accommodate me since 20 of their nurses were under quarantine. My wife and I started to think of other hospitals where I could be admitted. Antipolo and Metro Manila hospitals were already at full capacity. 

At this point, my dad and elder brother had been informed about my situation. With their help, arrangements had been made for an ambulance to pick me up at home and bring me to Qualimed in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

As soon as we arrived in Qualimed, I was wheeled straight into an isolation room.

Blood samples and nasal and throat swabs were also taken from me immediately thereafter.

They attached an IV to my left hand, wheeled an X-ray machine into my room, and took an X-ray of my chest area. It was the first day and I was left amazed at the efficiency of the hospital staff.

On March 24, 2020, a CT scan of my lungs was taken to confirm the X-ray results, which said I had pneumonia. This was also the day that I met one of my doctors for the first time, Dr Pasayan, an infectious disease specialist. 

He explained to me my symptoms and how he suspected that I was COVID-19 positive based on them. Dr Pasayan sought my consent to proceed with the treatment based on the assumption that I had COVID-19 even if the results of the swab test had not been returned yet. 

He reasoned early intervention was key to successfully treating COVID-19. If the results came back negative, then the treatment would be stopped and nothing would have been lost. 

He explained that one of the medicines that I would be taking was an anti-malarial drug which could cause an erratic heartbeat. Therefore, to ensure that it could be safe for my heart, I had taken an ECG earlier. 

(This antimalarial drug would later become unavailable and I was eventually switched to a medicine used to treat HIV.) 

I didn’t realize at one point that my life would be ruled by a routine schedule for the coming days. My breakfast would be brought at a certain time along with a pack of different medicines that I had to take by 8 am. Lunch would later follow along with a tablet that would be given to me in advance, since I had to take it by 2 pm. 

Dinner would be served around 6 pm along with the medicine that I had to drink at 8 pm. I knew what times of the day and night someone would drop by to take my blood oxygen levels, temperature, and blood pressure. 

It became no longer inconvenient to be woken up past midnight because blood had to be taken from me or because someone had to measure my vitals and ask how often I had urinated or taken a poop. This schedule of activities became my new normal and daily routine.

One of the hardest things that I had to deal with during my hospital stay was the insomnia and the silence. I would spend the day resting. I would end up being too well-rested in the evening to fall asleep. I kept the bathroom light on and the door slightly ajar to act as a nightlight. It became tiresome staring into the darkness waiting for sleep to come. 

The silence at the hospital was not deafening. It allowed me to hear more during the night. I could hear a motorcycle traveling along the road outside my window. I could hear cicadas. I could hear the nurses outside in the corridor. 

I could hear sounds that I didn’t want to hear. I heard someone coughing loudly as I lay in bed. I heard what sounded like someone trying to get air into their lungs. 

I developed a fever twice either because my body was reacting to my IV-swollen hands and arms, or it was fighting the virus. I would go to sleep and feel cold. The chills made my body convulse in an effort to keep warm. When the fever would set in, I would have to dip into the supply of paracetamol by my bedside to help cope with it. The fever would usually break after a few hours. (READ: [FIRST PERSON] Diary of a Filipina who survived coronavirus in Berlin)

There were a couple of times the IV was left out long enough for me to take a bath. Eventually, I learned how to take off my shirt, take a bath, and change into a fresh set of clothes even with the IV attached.

I also didn’t think that I would have diarrhea for 3 weeks straight from my first ER visit. I lost 12 pounds during the first 3 days. I would lose 5 pounds a week during the succeeding two weeks.

My doctor had taken note of my weight loss. I asked him what was causing my diarrhea not to abate. He said that it was a combination of the virus, the medicines that I was taking, and the fact that I wasn’t used to the hospital food. 

One thing I became cognizant of very quickly was that I was staying in an isolation wing. There was a strict schedule when people were allowed to enter my room. 

I once asked for my bed sheets to be changed. It was an hour before a male nurse came to change them. He apologized about the delay. I told him that it had been explained to me and I understood that they could only come to my room at certain hours. I thanked him for changing my sheets and told him that his safety was more important than my bed sheets.

(The same male nurse also explained to me that one reason why they couldn’t go to a patient as quickly as possible was because they would be at the delivery area waiting for their PPEs to be unloaded.) 

The hospital staff would change PPEs several times during my stay. Old ones would be disposed of and everyone would switch to wearing a new set of PPEs. I think that the most difficult part of the PPE to wear would be the plastic face shield. You could see fogging and moisture develop on it as the hospital staff did their job.

One nurse wore glasses which fogged up along with her face shield. She once had trouble seeing as she was trying to insert a needle into my hand. She brought my hand closer to my eyes, pointed to a spot and asked if I saw a vein where she was pointing. I put on my glasses, looked at where she was pointing, and informed her that I was just as blind. She did manage to find the vein.

You would have to admire the hospital staff at Qualimed for their empathy. A male nurse kept checking on me one evening as I was coping with a fever. The nurses noticed that I kept on asking for an extra bottle of water with my meals because I was trying to cope with the dehydration due to the diarrhea. They would soon bring extra bottles with my meals without my having to ask for it. (READ: LIST: How to help healthcare workers, frontliners during coronavirus pandemic)

One male nurse suggested that I buy big bottle of water and have it brought to me by a relative since my extra bottles of water would end up as an extra cost on my hospital bill.

A female nurse told me that the following day was her day off and offered to buy for me what I needed. She purchased for me a 6-liter bottle of mineral water, fabric conditioner, and laundry detergent. It made me very happy to be able to do my own laundry. I was going to run out of clothes to wear. I had underestimated how long I would have to stay at the hospital. 

The bathroom sink would become my laundry area and the shower curtain rod would become the drying area. 

It would take time for each swab test result to come back. I would openly curse all the government officials and their respective family members who all essentially cut in line to be tested, delaying everyone else who needed testing.

My first swab test result came back after 7 days. It was positive for COVID-19, as expected. My doctor did a good job of softening the blow. The second one also came back positive. I knew that I needed two negative results in order to be released from the hospital.

I told one of my brothers-in-law that I basically had an unlimited number of tries to get at least one negative swab test result.

Finally, the third swab result came back as negative. I started to get my hopes up.

A fourth swab test was taken on April 1 or April Fool’s Day. I didn’t want to think it was a bad omen. 

I saw a strange sight a few days later. My doctor and two nurses walked into my room with their PPE headgear off. It took me a few seconds to realize that the April 1 swab result had come back negative as well. I was congratulated by Dr Pasayan and the nurses, photos were taken, and I told Dr Pasayan that I would honor my promise to him.

I had promised that after my release from the hospital, the mandatory 2 weeks of self-isolation and the lifting of the ECQ, that I would go back to Qualimed and take formal photos of him and the hospital staff that took very good care of me. 

I am sincerely looking forward to keeping that promise after spending 18 days under their care. – Rappler.com

Jo Avila likes to print photos. He plans to spend his two weeks of self-isolation watching anime and reading manga.

MANILA, Philippines – University of the Philippines (UP) students and faculty members called for an early end of the second semester for academic year 2019-2020 as the country continues to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

Partly acknowledging the clamor, the UP President's Advisory Council (PAC) recommended to the UP Board of Regents (BOR) to end the semester on April 30, among other guidelines, to ease students' concerns.

The UP Office of the Student Regent (OSR), however, believed the PAC proposal – which includes giving students deferred grades until they complete their course requirements by May 31, 2021 – would not ease students' anxieties.

"It is imperative we recognize the fact that a lot has already changed and that these extraordinary circumstances justify and call for exceptional yet truly necessary solutions. This is why we cannot accept the current content of the recommendation of the UP Presidential Advisory Council for the future of this semester," it said in a statement on Tuesday, April 14.

The UP OSR, which called for "education with compassion," said that "the proposed policy has only considered some concerns of ours while leaving us with many unanswered questions causing widespread anxiety."

“UP, as the national university, should set itself as an example of decisively choosing the welfare of its constituents during a crisis like this.... Having an extended deadline of completion set to a year after does not ease anxieties,” it added.

It said that academic institutions "need not obsess over grinding through calendars, obligations, and outputs during a national emergency."

"Our education goes beyond the classroom and into the communities as we devote our knowledge, skills, and talents as Iskolar ng Bayan in providing solutions to overcome the pandemic,” it added.

Struggles

Students and faculty members have been echoing calls for the end of the semester and the mass promotion of students prior to the PAC’s meeting on Monday, April 13.

Mass promotion entails a universal pass that will allow students to proceed to the next academic year regardless of their academic status throughout the second semester.

Many have struggled to adjust to online learning due to financial constraints, mental health issues, and unstable internet connectivity and resources during the Luzon-wide lockdown that began on March 17, and had been extended until April 30.

Student councils from UP Diliman, UP Mindanao to Visayas, along with the UPOSR, have amplified a unified call, urging the administration to prioritize the welfare of students and faculty.

They asked for students to receive a passing mark, and for changes to the syllabi and course curriculum in the next academic year to catch up on missed lessons from the second semester.

Graduating students, meanwhile, should be given ample time and consideration to complete requirements, they said.

There should also be a moratorium on fees during the crisis, continuation of financial aid and benefits, and refunds for students who paid tuition and are not covered under the free tuition law.

With accessibility being a major hurdle for students across the UP system, the student councils added that alternative learning might not be doable when a health crisis is ongoing.

“More than thinking of saving the semester, it is imperative we think about saving ourselves first,” they said.

Meanwhile, all local college-based student councils in UP Diliman have worked together on submitting a position paper to the Office of the Chancellor and Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in a bid to stop online classes.

Not just the students

Even faculty members and employees have joined the call to end the semester, with the All UP Academic Employees Union highlighting how both the government and the university should not operate like it’s business as usual when there's a health crisis.

The Office of UP Faculty Regent also noted that several teaching personnel across the UP system are not emotionally and psychologically prepared to conduct online teaching or do not have the means to do so, based on findings from their online survey.

“It is anathema for us as educators to focus on academic requirements even as society is fighting for its future. We will not only be remiss in our duties to direct the real education of our students from the great and urgent social issues of the day, we also become remiss from our duties as citizens of this country,” All UP Academic Employees Union added.

Making their calls heard

After the release of PAC’s proposed policy, Rise for Education Alliance-UP Diliman led an online petition on Tuesday night, April 14, urging the BOR to end the semester and implement mass promotion of all students, regardless of their academic status.

As of Wednesday, April 15, more than 3,000 have signed the petition.

All UP Academic Employees Union also bolstered its call with an online petition asking the administration to end the semester, renew temporary and contractual teaching and non-teaching personnel, and adjust the university’s academic calendar to include a period of transition after the pandemic.

“We urge the UP Board of Regents, the highest decision-making body in the university, to truly listen to the collective outcry of the UP community and to heed our legitimate demands. It is only fitting that we choose the path where our safety and well-being is prioritized,” the UP OSR said.

The Board of Regents is set to tackle the PAC proposal on Thursday, April 16. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines– As the country continues to battle the coronavirus, several alumni of the University Santo Tomas (UST) Pharmacy Glee Club banded together for a virtual “choirantine” to serenade frontliners.

In a video posted on Easter Sunday, April 12, 17 former members of the UST Pharmacy Glee Club sang Ryan Cayabyab’s “Paraiso” for their fellow frontliners in the medical field and even those beyond. (WATCH: Doctors serenade coronavirus frontliners amid fear, loss)

“We dedicate this song to our fellow frontliners from the medical and non-medical community. Salute to us all! This too shall pass and after all of these, we hope that we will all go home safe and healthy to our loved ones–to the place we call Paraiso,” Gabriel Cortez, one of the alumni who participated in the virtual choirantine, said.

Cortez added that the song seemed fitting as it highlighted the simple things in life that we may have taken for granted.

In the Philippines, several parts of the country have been placed on lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease. (READ: 4 options for the Philippines' coronavirus lockdown)

“Amidst the chaos that this virus has given the world, let’s try to see the positive things out of it...For our part, we got to sing again, after so many years of not singing together. This COVID-19 thing made us reunite with each other through our passion for singing...This virus made us appreciate all those simple and little things more,” Cortez said. – Rappler.com 

If you’ve ever met our family, you’d know how guarded we are about our private lives. But, perhaps to help in curbing the stigma and lend a bit of reassurance to those who may chance upon this, I was tasked to share our family’s own experience throughout this lockdown. 

In one of their random phone conversations (before the ECQ), my mom and sister Talia were discussing people’s increasing paranoia over COVID-19. Mama mentioned that even her 38-degree temperature – which lasted for all but one hour – made her anxious. Since Mama assured Talia that her temp was back to normal, they ended their talk on a happy note. 

A few minutes later, Saud (Talia’s husband who happens to be a doctor) called my mom back and asked her to go get tested. It was quite late already so Mama was saying she (meaning we) would go the next day. Saud insisted on doing it right away so, by 10 pm, we made our way to RITM. My other sister Jannah and I thought that we’d try to get tested as well for peace of mind, even if we barely exhibited any symptoms. We got there, relayed our stories – no travel history, no exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case – and enumerated to the doctors what we think might be our symptoms. Only Mama got swabbed while Jannah and I were given instructions to self-quarantine for 14 days.

We got home and thought nothing of the test while strictly observing the directive to self-isolate. By then, Metro Manila was placed under ECQ, so it wasn’t much of a difficulty nor an extraordinary adjustment. 

A few days later we got a call informing us that Mama’s test came out positive. Per DOH data, she is PH150. 

All of us in the household were told to go to RITM to get swabbed. This time, I need only tell the doctors that I have chronic asthma to qualify for a test, even if I was still asymptomatic. The rest of our companions were not swabbed and were likewise only given orders to self-quarantine. 

Mama was admitted to RITM. I was told that I needed to stay in a hospital, too, because of my pre-existing condition, while waiting for my test results to come out. But because RITM was already full, they had to find another hospital for me. At that time, not a lot of medical institutions were accepting suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases so it was hours of waiting. 

While we were in the hospital, Jannah told us that the CESU decided to get all of them tested at home. 

Days later – and after a CT scan and a daily regimen of blood tests, chest x-rays, vitals checks, and medications – I was informed that my results came out negative and I was discharged from the hospital the next day. I had to spend a few days in my brother’s home because we still wouldn’t know the results for the other members of our household until a few days later.

Everybody tested negative. Except Jannah. She is PH 484. 

Because she was asymptomatic, she was told not to go to the hospital (as they were all full and they had to prioritize patients with more severe symptoms) and to just stay home and monitor her condition.

Days later, Mama got her first negative test result. Per protocol, she needs two to be allowed to go home. Jannah, meanwhile, can only get tested 2 weeks after her first swab as the CESU officials who performed her test had to undergo self-quarantine. Mama came home, but had to stick to her room as she needed to self-isolate for at least 14 more days. Jannah received her two negative test results weeks later and had to also remain in her room for almost a month to complete the additional 14-day self-isolation period. (READ: [FIRST PERSON] The power of empathy, as told by a coronavirus survivor)

Because we had two “patients” at home, we had to devise our own system. Their food was brought to their rooms and the utensils they used were exclusively theirs. No one from our house came out even to purchase necessities. Our brother Tani would drop by once in a while to get us groceries but even he wouldn't stay long and would stay only by the front door. We regularly disinfected the common areas in the house even if our patients were not allowed out, just to be on the safe side. To keep our spirits up, we also had nightly video chats to check on everybody, including our brothers and sisters who lived in separate homes. We are aware of and are always thankful for the privilege of having the space and resources to institute these measures that helped us through the ordeal. 

News would reach us that there were rumors circulating in our neighborhood about the confirmed cases in our household. Though not laying any blame nor attributing malice to anyone (we understand that people only want to be careful), we would find ourselves without a quarantine pass for the duration of the ECQ, until 2 days ago.

It was a rollercoaster for the past weeks. Though mostly asymptomatic, we were all kept on our toes for any possible escalation of conditions for both Mama and Jannah. At least Mama was in the hospital where she was regularly monitored. Jannah had to constantly watch herself and rely on the instructions and reassurances of our CESU, all given over the phone. We were also blessed to have friends in the medical profession who would patiently answer our questions as we tried to understand everything that's been happening to Jannah by ourselves.

Our journey started on March 13. The day I write this, Jannah was fetched by PGH doctors so she could donate her plasma as a possible treatment for those with serious conditions due to COVID-19. She is donor number 8 in PGH. Alhamdulillah, she is not bothered by needles and injections. She can only donate every 14 days but says she is willing to donate as often as possible. Since the next donation falls on Ramadhan already, she’s made arrangements with the PGH doctors to get the procedure done at night for her second round.

Why do we share this?

First, to laud and pay homage to the medical frontliners, particularly the compassionate and dedicated doctors, nurses, orderlies, and other personnel in the RITM and AHMC, and those from the CESU/RESU who’ve been excellent at providing the services and support we needed. In that time of uncertainty, the CESU generously assured Mama that they will perform the contact-tracing themselves and instructed her to shut her phone off and focus only on getting better. Props also go to the doctors and medical practitioners in the PGH for making Jannah comfortable during her plasma donation. (READ: LIST: How to help healthcare workers, frontliners during coronavirus pandemic)

Second, to send the message (without trivializing the pain of those whose loved ones succumbed to or are still battling the disease) that a positive result for COVID-19 is not automatically a death sentence. In our case, it has only brought our family even closer as we set out to fight the virus together.

And third, to show that there is nothing to be ashamed about being a COVID-19 positive. In fact, people who’ve beaten the disease now have the antibodies to protect themselves and help those who badly need it.

Our journey has not ended. As with the majority of the populace, most of us in the family have not been exposed to the virus and are therefore still susceptible. But with reasonable precautions and lots and lots of prayers, in shaa Allah, we’ll get through this and come out stronger as a unit. – Rappler.com

Anna Tarhata Basman is a Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. A lawyer with roots in Marawi City, she previously served in the legal team of the government peace panel, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

I first entered the academe as a 20-year-old fresh graduate. I'd just served my term as the chairperson of our University Student Council, and was still very much involved in the student movement. When I was about to join the faculty, I remember contemplating about the way in which I should reconcile my politics with my being an instructor and a university employee. I then resolved that activism should never be deprived of rigorous academic labor, and that the academe is vain and hollow if it is dry of convictions for the oppressed and the disadvantaged.

My deepest resentment and indignation, however, is reserved for scholars and self-proclaimed experts who spin and twist academic knowledge to legitimize and validate oppression. In the Philippines, the first mass protests against President Rodrigo Duterte were held in remonstration of dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ burial in the Heroes’ Cemetery. Even the erstwhile ally of the Duterte administration, the Philippine communists, were quick to condemn the government’s assault on the memory of our authoritarian past. Debates and conversations surfaced regarding historical revisionism.

My denunciation of such an act was two-pronged. First, I was angry for those who suffered and died during Marcos’ Martial Law, and for the country that was looted by the dead dictator’s family. Second, I was angry as a historian for the overt historical negationism done using state apparatus.

Some would say that the greatest failure of our geniuses was their failure to think politically. Indeed, the largest and the most massive atrocities suffered by humanity were not done spontaneously. These were products of thoughtful and careful deliberations in laboratories and conference rooms, and these would later be justified with painstaking research and theorizing. 

Before the use of gas chambers in German concentration camps during the Second World War, Nazis executed the Jews and other prisoners through firing squads. After some time, they would realize that such a mechanism was inefficient and was causing too much stress and trauma to the Nazi soldiers, who usually turned to alcoholism or suicide after undertaking this ruthless task. Hence, they experimented on using poison. Gassing was impersonal, bloodless, and clean. It was mechanical. Did the chemists behind the use of Zyklon B for the extermination of Jews think about the moral and political implication of this idea? 

In Los Alamos, New Mexico, the Allied forces led by the US and the UK spearheaded a well-funded project for the creation of the most advanced munitions for the war. They called this the Manhattan Project. Did the physicists of the Manhattan Project who worked diligently on the creation of nuclear weapons in the 1940s care about the repercussions of a nuclear war? Had it ever crossed their minds that the mere presence of such would dictate world politics in the succeeding Cold War decades, and the later 20th century imperialism and War on Terror?

Knowledge is hardly ever neutral. And if it is, then this neutrality is tantamount to blindness. The wisdom of Desmond Tutu is eternally true and relevant, especially for my colleagues in the academe who are responsible in purveying knowledge: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

This is even more true in the historical discipline. As a teacher and a student of history, I always make it a point to go beyond mere presentation of facts and to move past demonstration of multiple perspectives. At the end of the day, historical discipline is a tool of issuing historical responsibility, of establishing causes, and of demanding accountability. It is a tool box in the formation of our moral judgments. Indeed, the historian is not judged by his skill in the collection of cold hard facts. As the eminent British historian E.H. Carr would put it, “to praise a historian for his accuracy is like praising an architect for using well-seasoned timber or properly mixed concrete in his building. It is a necessary condition of his work, but not his essential function.”

Unfortunately, in every oppressive regime that the world has ever seen, there has always been a guild of scholars who sided with the oppressors, not just through neutrality, but also through an active and methodical justification of the system. Nazi Germany had Alfred Rosenberg, Martin Heidegger, Fritz Lenz, and Josef Mengele. They backed up the oppressive regime by tweaking valid facts and theories to legitimize the modus vivendi of the oppressor and of their vision of the society. White supremacy, eugenics, anti-Semitism, slavery, and other systems of oppression were accepted as truths and were legitimized by academic establishments. (READ: [OPINION] The humanities vs Dutertismo)

During the American colonial period in the Philippines, American anthropologists and scientists would justify American colonization by “proving” the savagery and backwardness of the native population through ethnography, anthropology, and physiology. Later, American-sponsored historians would glorify the American period as a period of peace, prosperity, and relentless advancement in science, medicine, public instruction, and state modernization. 

Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ economic plan was drafted by the country’s brightest technocrats, one of which was the dean of the premier University of the Philippines’ (UP) College of Business Administration, Cesar Virata. Marcos himself would publish scholarly works ghost-written by the most acclaimed historians and political scientists of the time. Widely known was the three-volume historical work Tadhana: The History of the Filipino People, which was said to have been penned by a group of the most brilliant historians of UP in the name of Marcos. 

Ironically, this university was the epicenter of activism and resistance movement against the dictator during the Marcos years. Being the hotspot of resistance notwithstanding, some intellectuals in the university thought that in the time of injustice and oppression, their task remained the same: write and publish. This is disturbing. Academics are not slaves of academic undertakings. The task of the academic is not to proceed with neutral and apolitical theorizing especially in times of injustice. The commitment of the scholar is to the truth, but more importantly, it is in speaking truth to power. (READ: The moralist thinker in Digong’s Philippines)

When Rodrigo Duterte came to power, a good number of academics and experts from different fields threw their support behind the macho brute from Mindanao. Some of them saw him as the antithesis of the establishment, a few saw him as a leader that would usher in Leftist politics in governance, while others saw him as a representation of the organic political culture of the Philippines. Almost 4 years into his presidency, with 30,000 Filipinos dead in his bloody war on drugs, and the external debt of the country increasing to P7.94 trillion, a lot of them have already changed their minds, but a good lot has remained. 

Until now, Duterte is still compared to the celebrated figure of the Datu – the political figurehead of Philippine ancient civilization. His perennial tardiness and the tolerance of such was justified by the concept of pakikipagkapwa – an important concept in Filipino Psychology, which explains the nature and character of Filipinos’ relationship with one another, anchored on empathy and co-existence. Similar to what Marcos attempted to do with his Tadhana project, and several other works that provided justification for the dictator’s New Society trope, historical scholarship can also be used to explain and even legitimize Dutertismo. 

Brilliance and acumen are proven with doctorates and countless refereed publications. But scholars are not judged by degrees and academic accomplishments alone. At the end of the day, we are judged by our moral legacy expressed through the sides that we have taken in times of both normalcy and oppression. By whom? By history. – Rappler.com

Veronica Alporha teaches History at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. She acquired her MA in History from UP Diliman.

MANILA, Philippines – While the country pours out its health resources to contain the spread of the coronavirus, cancer patients are severely overlooked as their families struggle to continue their treatments. 

There is 12-year-old Royce Labajata, a leukemia patient from Antipolo City  who was declared free of cancer but was still in the monitoring stage prior to the coronavirus outbreak in the Philippines. 

When the lockdown was declared, his mother noticed that Royce looked pale so they went to the doctor for his monthly check-up. They said Royce's blood count dropped. Doctors also found 30% cancer cells in his bone marrow aspiration examination. 

Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, Royce's access to food, medicines and transportation to the hospital have been a struggle, just like with many other cancer patients. This was compounded by the fact that, like other Filipinos, the mother lost her job due to the enhanced community quarantine. 

Mots Venturina of Cancervants PH, an organization helping children with cancer in the Philippines, shared that in some cases, some of the parents refuse to work even on skeletal force for fear that they might get infected by the virus and pose risks to their child. 

"Their treatments go on as usual, but some parents decide not to bring their kids to the hospital anymore because they are afraid to get the virus. On the other hand, sometimes – it is the hospital that delays the admission itself, because there are no longer available beds or rooms for more patients," she added.

To help the 75% of the patients in need of financial assistance, the organization has launched #CovidFighterFund, a donation drive for kids with cancer and #HeroDriver campaign to ask people with cars to voluntarily drive the kids to and from the hospital.

"The parents find it hard to transport their kids from house to the hospital for chemo admission because they don't own cars," she added. 

"It really is hard nowadays. Of course, drivers from the province are a bit afraid to go to Metro Manila, let alone go to a hospital. It’s really challenging for our kids who live in the province and their onco-hema doctors are in Manila," Venturina emphasized.

The story is not far from the experience of a leukemia patient from Antipolo City during the first day ofthe lockdown who had to walk for hours to get his oral chemotherapy medication in Metro Manila. 

Another cancer patient, Rodante Garcia Atienza Jr, 37, who is a resident of Imus, Cavite, said he is afraid to go to Philippine General Hospital to coninue the two cycles of his chemotherapy.

"May dalawang cycles pa po ako. Pinapapunta po ako ng doctor ko ngayong Friday para sa 5th chemo ko. Kaso mahirap ang transportation dito at sa totoo lang po natatakot ako mahawaan ng COVID-19, kaya po natatakot ako pumunta ng PGH," Atienza said. 

(I still have two cycles. The doctor asked me to go to the hospital this Friday for my 5th chemotheraphy but it's hard to find a ride. I'm also afraid that I might get infected with the virus)

As a father, Atienza fears he might also pose the risk of infection to his child if he leaves the house. 

Doctors' appeal 

Stories like this pushed a group of doctors to appeal to government agencies to urgently prioritize treatment of cancer patients. 

In a unity statement, the doctors called on the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), and The Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to recognize that cancer treatment and care cannot be delayed indefinitely. 

“As the battle against the virus plays out in our heroic front lines, we also need to minimize collateral damage to our equally important cancer patients,” doctors said in a statement. 

This is because big hospitals have been converted into COVID-19 centers while others continue to grapple with coronavirus patients, leaving them without a choice but to shut other key services in order to manage the prevention and treatment of these patients. (READ: Doctors anxious as high-risk hospitals open doors to COVID-19 patients)

“Cancer is a top cause of mortality and morbidity in the Philippines. We also understand that cancer patients and survivors may be at higher risk for severe COVID-19 if infected. There is therefore an emergent need to provide cancer services with minimal risk of cross-infection with COVID-19, as well as other infectious diseases,” the statement reads. 

According to the World Health Organization, cancer patients are also among the vulnerable groups at high risk of acquiring the virus. 

In the statement, the doctors stressed the need to restructure units of existing hospitals, and designate  COVID-19 safe hospitals and clinics for cancer patients’ treatment and care; and develop measures to minimize their risk of exposure and infection to the coronavirus.

It also said that safety and protection of all healthcare workers providing cancer care, and access to medicines vital for patients must be secured.

The group of doctors also urged government agencies to provide transportation support, assistance, and travel clearance to and from patient's residence and point of care center; and promote awareness on ensuring safety and continuing medical care.

The doctors also emphasized the need to integrate information on cancer for patients and healthcare workers in current DOH COVID-19 media campaigns.

The signatories to the unity statement are:

• Manuel Francisco T. Roxas, MD - Director, PCS Cancer Commission;
• Jose Rhoel C. De Leon, MD - Co-Director, PCS Cancer Commission Cancer Surgery Community Outreach and Support Services;
• Maria Lilibeth L. Sia Su, MD- President, Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines;
• Beatrice J. Tiangco, MD - CEO, President and Co-Founder, Cancer Care Registry Philippines Foundation, Incorporated;
• Peter Paul Perez - President, Cancer Coalition Philippines; 
• Ramon C. Severino, MD - Committee on Advocacy Chairman, Philippine Medical Association;
• Corazon A. Ngelangel, MD - President, Philippine Cancer Society;
• Buenaventura C. Ramos, Jr., MD - President, Philippine Society of Medical Oncology;
• Karin E. Garcia, MD- President, Philippine Society of Hospice and Palliative Medicine;
• Catherine Sc Teh, MD - Co-Director, PCS Cancer Commission Cancer Surgery Quality Improvement Program;
• Ida Marie T. Lim, MD - Co-Director, PCS Cancer Commission Executive Committee and Chairman, PCS Committee on Cancer; 
• Manuel Martin L. Lopez, MD - President, Philippine Radiation Oncology Society;
• Kara Magsanoc-Alikapala - Founding President, ICANSERVE Foundation;
• Carmen Auste - CEO, Cancer Warriors Foundation;
• Ramon C. Severino, MD - Board Member, Philippine Society Of Oncology;
• Jaime A. Almora, MD - President, Philippine Hospital Association;
• Teodoro Padilla - Executive Director, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines;
• June Michael V. Razon, MD - President, National Hospice Council of the Philippines (Hospice Philippines);
• Maria Fatima Garcia-Lorenzo- President, Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations;
• Jose Antonio M. Salud, MD - President, Philippine College of Surgeons;
• Maria Margarita L. Luna, MD - President, Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology;
• Cecilia Gretchen S. Navarro-Locsin, MD - President, Philippine Society Of Otolaryngology – Head And Neck Surgery;
• Allan M. Concejero, MD - President, Philippine Association Of Thoracic And Cardiovascular Surgery;
• Robert B. Bandolon, MD - President, Philippine Society Of Colon And Rectal Surgeons;
• James A. Soriano, MD - President, Academy Of Filipino Neurosurgeons' 
• Joseph Melbert O. Gulfan, MD - President, Philippine Association Of Training Officers In Surgery;
• Ida Marie T. Lim, MD - Immediate Past President, Philippine Academy For Head And Neck Surgery;
• Carmen Auste - Union For International Cancer Control Country Champion / Convenor, Treatment For All Philippines Coalition;
• Andrea Joanne A. Torre, MD - President, Philippine Society Of General Surgeons;
• Paul Ruel C. Camiña, MD - President, Philippine Orthopedic Association;
• Harry G. Longno, MD - President, Philippine Urological Association;
• Laurence T. Loh, MD - President, Philippine Association Of Plastic Reconstructive And Aesthetic Surgeons;
• Santiago C. Aquino, MD - President, Philippine Society Of Pediatric Surgeons;
• Edsel F. Arandia, MD - President, Philippine Hip and Knee Society;
• Samuel D. Ang, MD - President, Surgical Oncology Society Of The Philippines;
• Francisco P. Altarejos, MD - President, Philippine Spine Society;
• Rolando Gerardo F. Dela Cruz, MD - President, Philippine Society For The Surgery Of Trauma;
• Alfred Phillip O. De Dios, MD - President, Philippine Society Of Ultrasound In Surgery;
• Ernesto C. Tan, MD - President, Philippine Association Of Laparoscopic And Endoscopic Surgeons;
• Servando Sergio Dc Simangan, Jr., MD - President, Philippine Society For Vascular And Endovascular Surgery;
• Servando Sergio Dc Simangan, Jr., MD - President, Philippine Society Of Transplant Surgeons;
• Anita C. Tarectecan, MD - President, Association Of Women Surgeons In The Philippines;
• Catherine Sc Teh, MD - President, Philippine Association Of Hepato-pancreato Biliary Surgeons.

As of Wednesday, April 15, the Philippines has 5,453 coronavirus cases, with 349 deaths and 353 recoveries. – Rappler.com

I can say that all of us in the nursing services were caught off-guard and ill-prepared to face this pandemic. Although our nursing staff had dealt with many challenging situations in the past, wherein they had to be on high alert for deteriorating patients and those with severe infections, this situation is very different. We are tasked to take care of very ill and contagious patients, which in turn threatens our very own health. 

Yes, this new monster called COVID-19 is a different enemy. We are all afraid to be infected as well, for it could easily lead to death. In addition, we are also afraid for our loved ones: our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, spouses, and even our children whom we could infect when we get home from work after a very tiring day. 

Filipino nurses are aware of their chosen profession and the risk that goes with it, and we swear to fulfill our pledge of taking care of the sick. That is why amid this crisis, we remain to be on the forefront of the battlefield, with the armaments needed to protect ourselves, like having complete standard PPEs.

We hope that our present health care system would also take care of us, from providing diagnostic tests to ensuring treatment. We nursing frontliners, who are exposed to COVID patients, should also be tested or swabbed when the need arises. This will help with our anxiety and depression, as we are often uncertain of whether we are infected or not, and are fearful of bringing the disease home to our family.(READ: [OPINION] The state of Filipino nurses, before and during the coronavirus)

It is our appeal to the society we serve that we be treated with respect and sympathy, and not as outcasts and disease carriers. It is normal in this current situation to feel stressed, but let us be reminded that managing our psychosocial well-being during this time is as important as managing our physical health. (READ: Evicted, banned from eateries: Frontliners face discrimination in Iloilo City)

I’m sure that the Chief Nursing Officers of private and government hospitals are implementing their own strategies to look out for the overall well-being of their respective nurses. As a step to ensure that the health and safety of our staff is prioritized, we see to it that they have ample time to rest in between duties and to be ready again for their next shifts. We provide them with food, modes of transport, and even a place to sleep in the hospital, for those who opt to stay or are in quarantine. 

We sincerely appreciate our empathetic citizens who have volunteered out of their own goodwill and sense of social responsibility, donating whatever they can to help, including meals, PPEs, and even prayers. These things help us realize that we are not alone in this battle; these things give us courage in the Nursing Services to continue the fight in this COVID war.

As a government health care worker, I appreciate what the Department of Health (DOH), is doing – that despite the limited resources and circumstances which caught us all by surprise, it has made great efforts to provide safety nets for its health workers, including distributing PPEs to different hospitals throughout the country. I really hope that there would be a sufficient amount of PPEs until this pandemic ends. 

In the end, I strongly believe we nurses, together with all other health care workers and frontliners, will stand proud – declaring that we've won the war. (READ: World short of 6 million nurses, WHO says)

We acknowledge your hard work, dedication, and commitment to serve the Filipino people. We salute you for being brave, and for being our modern-day heroes. Mabuhay ang mga Filipino nurses! Mabuhay ang mga frontliners! – Rappler.com

Nerissa M. Gerial is Deputy Executive Director for Nursing Services at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

MANILA, Philippines– In an act of compassion, several University of the Philippines (UP) teachers canceled their class requirements and automatically gave their students a passing mark, despite a decision from the Board of Regents to continue academic work during the outbreak.

UP’s highest decision-making body approved on Thursday, April 16, the policy proposed by the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) to end the second semester for academic year 2019-2020 on April 30. The proposal comes with the condition that academic work for students and faculty will continue under the deferred grade scheme.

PAC’s proposal said students will have until May 30, 2021 to complete their course requirements.

The decision comes after massive clamor both from the students and faculty for mass promotion and early end of the second semester due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The UP Office of the Student Regent earlier asserted that extending the deadline of requirements by a year would not ease students’ anxieties.

'We're in the middle of a crisis'

UP teacher Kerbz Alvarez, along with 10 others from UP Diliman College of Social Sciences and Philosophy's history department, made a personal decision to pass their students as they acknowledged the challenges posed by the crisis.

“Nagdesisyon kaming kanselahin ang mga rekisito sa aming mga klase, at bigyan kayong lahat ng markang Pass (P) ngayong semestre. Aminin natin, mahihirapan tayong lahat maglatag ng komunikasyon at matuto sa pamamagitan ng online learning mechanisms dahil ang mga ito ay ginagamit sa ‘normal’ na sitwasyon. Nasa gitna tayo ng krisis. Hindi ito posible,” they said in a statement.

(We decided to cancel the requisites of our classes and give all of you a passing mark this semester. Let’s admit it: we will struggle to communicate and learn through online learning mechanism because these are used in normal situations. We’re in the middle of a crisis. This isn’t possible.)

The teachers added that students may not be able to focus on their academic requirements as they will prioritize their health, well-being, and survival during the pandemic.

While they will not be giving academic requirements, the teachers will be providing videos, reading materials and handouts for students who may want to study at their own pace.

They also invited students to sit in their classes in the next academic year, so they can catch up on their lessons through personal lectures.

Safety over academic excellence

Even before the Board of Regents made its decision, some teachers from UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas from the College of Arts and Letters have also announced passing their students as early as Wednesday, April 16.

“Wala nang intro-intro: ipapasa ko ang lahat ng estudyante ko ngayong sem,” UP teacher Arlo Mendoza said in his Facebook post.

He pointed out that institutions such as UP should not be limited by rigid concepts of academic excellence, and that these should not be prioritized over the well-being of the community it serves.

“Nasusukat ang integridad ng isang institusyon sa paraan ng pagtugon nito sa mga pinakamatinding krisis ng panahon at sa pagpapahalaga nito sa kapakanan ng kaniyang mga kasapi. Ayokong maalala ang UP bilang isang institusyong sangktimonyong nangunyapit sa konsepto ng husay, samantalang malinaw na hinihingi ng sitwasyon ang isang mas makataong solusyon,” Mendoza said.

 (An institution’s integrity is measured by how it responds to the worst of crises, and how it values the welfare of its members. I don’t want to remember UP as an institution clinging to a concept of excellence, when the situation calls for a more humane solution.)

Mykel Andrada, another teacher from UP College of Arts and Letters, also passed his students this semester, saying the safety of his students and other members of the community matter more to him than the grades and output.

“Hindi ginagraduhan at sinusukat ang buhay. Ang buhay at kapakanan ay inaalagaan at ipinaglalaban. UP, mahirap bang magmalasakit?” he asked in his Facebook post.

(You don’t grade and measure a life. You fight and protect life and welfare. UP, is it hard to be compassionate?)

UP Diliman educator Danilo Arao maintained that he will still waive all requirements and give his students a passing mark, even after the approval of the PAC recommendations.

URGENT MESSAGE TO MY UPD STUDENTS (J 117, J 122 and J 201): The decision today (April 16) of the BOR to approve the PAC recommendations DOES NOT change my decision to waive all requirements and give you a grade of Pass. Focus now on your bigger personal and political challenges.

— Danilo Arao (@dannyarao) April 16, 2020

In UP Manila, Speech Pathology Department Chairperson Michael Valdez announced in an email on Thursday, April 16, that students taking speech pathology, and occupational, physical and speech therapy courses for the 2nd semester will merit a passing grade.

Valdez explained that the department and course teams deemed it the best response after careful consideration of the psychological impact and economic burden caused by the pandemic.

The department hopes to offer a non-graded bridging program a month before the start of the next semester to ensure that students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed for the next year level.

Act of protest

In UP Visayas, among those who are passing students despite the deferred grading scheme is ethics professor Clyde Gacayan, who did so as an act of protest.

Gacayan described the deferred grading scheme as a “targeted attack” to students who struggle with internet connectivity, loss of family’s daily income, anxiety and fear due to the outbreak.

“I then protest, and our class will. I will use my academic freedom to promote en masse each one of you enrolled in Ethics 1 Sec 8, 9, 10 for the second semester,” Gacayan said in an emailed notice to students.

Gacayan invited his students to read online and offline modules if they’re interested, and sit in future Ethics 1 classes which he will be handling.

The UP Office of Student Regent remains firm that the immediate end of the semester and mass promotion are the “most humane and inclusive responses” to the situation.

“Purely academic output and performance metrics which supposedly determine excellence have been prioritized above the very real financial, physical, psychological and emotional anxieties of students, faculty and staff... Despite this, we will continue facing this battle as a UP community united in the mission to uphold honor and excellence for the people,” it said.– Rappler.com

The COVID-19 pandemic has put to an end the dominant paradigm that underlies our school system. We say goodbye to the “old school” that is based on a one-size-fits-all approach and say hello to the emerging customized fit-for-purpose education eco-system that is designed for undisrupted learning. The concept of this “new school” is fluid and will remain as such.

There are 3 major weaknesses of the pre-COVID-19 “old school” system:

1. The current school system is vulnerable to disruptions. The face-to-face delivery platform of the current school setup is rendered useless in times of disruptions. The Philippines is annually visited by typhoons as many times as the letters in the alphabet. We also have 22 active volcanoes that take turns acting up. Earthquakes, floods, and other emergencies both natural and man-made are a frequent occurrence. The current health outbreak is not going to be the last. The challenge is how to make undisrupted learning the core strength of the education system. 

2. The official curriculum limits flexible learning options for the learners. It assumes that every Filipino child in every grade level must possess a minimum set of competencies regarded as essential knowledge, values, and skills to be functional and productive citizens who are "MAKA-DIYOS, MAKA-KALIKASAN, MAKATAO, AT MAKABAYAN." We have been tested by the community quarantine if these values have indeed been observed.
   
   Has the general public displayed scientific literacy and mathematical thinking to not only understand, but more importantly, to conceive of solutions to the outbreak? Do we possess the practical skills required to survive and provide others such as the frontliners with the practical things they need? Have we displayed the civic competence required to thrive? Has the curriculum been responsive and relevant? Is the current curriculum preparing us for the next pandemic? Is the curriculum flexible enough to accommodate the lessons learned from the pandemic?
   
   We are all witnesses to our homes being transformed as the de facto classroom. This is where and when social exclusion is felt the most. Each home is unique. Each community is distinct. The students’ contexts are so diverse that a fixed curriculum could not adequately address the learning needs of individual learners, their homes, and communities. The curriculum ceases to be a fixed set of content that must be learned (or remembered) but a learning playlist customized by learners themselves based on their realities, interests, and identified problems they want to seek solutions to. Knowledge and its delivery platforms should be differentiated and customized to the real-life challenges of learners. (READ: [OPINION] What will happen to poor students when schools go online?)

3. The current school system has relegated the teachers as curriculum implementers rather than as resource guides and learning task designers and innovators. Information and communication technologies not only diversified sources of knowledge but made it more accessible. Learners have access to a multitude of sources of knowledge. Hence, teachers are no longer the only source of knowledge. They cannot remain teaching lessons that can be googled or watched on YouTube.
   
   To remain relevant, teachers should re-orient their practice toward designing learning tasks and episodes that challenge students to explore discovery and application of existing knowledge and pursue solutions to real-life challenges that learners experience and will experience. The new role of the teacher is to guide the learners on available resources students can use and learn from. Teachers are similar to medical doctors that diagnose the learning health and well-being of their students and give out the appropriate prescriptions. The community quarantine is forcing teachers not only to think outside of the box but to shatter the boxes and harness their collective creativity to imagine innovations that reach every learner in diverse contexts.

What emerges from lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreak is the need to explore the new normal for our schools. A table of comparison is made to summarize:

The pandemic presents a great opportunity for the Department of Education (DepEd) to transition the school system to something more resilient to disruptions and more prepared not only for the current outbreak but for the next pandemic as well. This requires a new thinking, a new way of seeing education. The “new normal” does not have a definite shape yet. What is emerging is a menu of flexible learning options that adapt to learners in diverse contexts rather than learners adjusting to the system. (READ: [OPINION] When schools go agile)

The DepEd is one big bureaucracy managing close to 900,000 teachers and 28 million basic education students. Policies are formulated by the Central Office and fleshed out down the line up to the individual school. Teachers frequently complain about the limited degree of freedom they have to fully respond to their learners’ needs. Some policies are perceived by teachers as restrictive and interfering from their professional judgment in the classroom. The system has relegated the teachers as curriculum implementers rather than as resource guides and learning experience designers. Key is how the big bureaucracy that is DEPED is going to harness the creative energies of teachers to nudge their practice towards the new normal. 

There are 7 critical steps the Department must undertake to better prepare for the transition period:

1. Decide to transition to remote learning NOW. Whether the quarantine is lifted or not, disruptions will always be a Damocles sword over our schools using face-to-face delivery. Schools will use remote learning for at least the first two quarters of schoolyear 2020-2021 that will open in August. Such decisiveness is necessary to focus on the tasks to be done. 

2. Develop the database. The DepEd has to conduct surveys on the readiness and capability of each school to conduct remote learning. Data on access and readiness of students, parents, and teachers must inform the modalities that each school will use. Teachers can contact their students if they do not have connectivity. Each student is the level of analysis so that we know what to offer each child based on his/her limitations. Each learner must be tracked and his/her data captured for decision making.

3.  Involve teacher education institutions (TEI) in the new learning-ecosystem as part of the support structure. Talk to TEIs to help especially those that are considered as a Center of Excellence. Persuade them to adopt schools as their extension sites. 

4. Use multiple delivery modes and flexible learning options. With the data, we can identify which delivery mode is appropriate for the student. We can have DepEd on Air (radio); we can have DepEd on-screen (TV shows similar to those on the Knowledge Channel); DepEd on Zoom (internet-based); DepEd through mail; and many other modes appropriate to the learners’ needs and context. Remote learning is not synonymous with online learning. A long list of delivery modes may be developed that is customized for diverse learners.

5. Design a consultation process that will extensively involve the teachers and other stakeholders. Teachers cannot be left behind. Move the opening of classes in August. Use the time to consult and prepare. A “bibingka” approach is necessary to mobilize the creative energies of teachers for the transition. Both the top and bottom must be involved to see things from different perspectives. School heads should now initiate at the level of their respective schools, planning meetings with the data gathered to drive their decisions. 

6. Develop the short, medium, and long-term plan. The DepEd should craft the roadmap using the insights from the consultation. Underlying principles of the roadmap should be clear and “owned” by the stakeholders. Milestones should be specified for immediate and long-term plans. Plans should identify the resources needed and how these may be raised and generated. Collaboration and partnership with the private sector will be a critical component of the plan. 

7. Create a mechanism for continuous communication of the initiatives. Stakeholder engagement is key in nudging a big bureaucracy towards the new normal. Make communication accessible. Let the teachers and the stakeholders feel free to express their thoughts, engage in discussion, raise issues, and offer solutions. Keep stakeholders updated on the initiatives. Transparency is critical in cultivating trust and participation. 

The Department of Education cannot respond to this crisis using the same mindset that it is accustomed to using in managing the pre-COVID Philippine school system. To acquire the agility required to respond at the moment of value, it has to gradually decentralize and empower the schools. Let schools plan and let teachers learn together how remote learning may be conceptualized given their resources and limitations. The role of the bureaucracy is develop the ecosystem to support the individual school’s plan.

Now is the time to shift our mindset. Make remote learning the default mode and the “physical learning” as the alternative. This way, we become better prepared psychologically. Say hello to the new normal. – Rappler.com

Dr Feliece I. Yeban is full professor at Philippine Normal University. She is a social science and human rights educator.

I had been confined to my room, alone in my flat, watching TV and reading about everything and nothing on the web – like many in the world today. I avidly followed the Facebook posts of a lady I admire for her nationalism and civic concsiousness; she is also really funny.

Gang Badoy Capati had established #RockEdRelief early on, feeding health care workers (HCWs), providing personal protective equipment (PPEs) to hospitals, and establishing  a ride service for frontliners at #RockEdCarpool. Gang was exposed to several persons who tested positive for COVID, and had been manning the trenches from solitary confinement, monitoring her fever and symptoms while making soap and keeping her good humor and wit.

I hated her now. She made me feel useless, and the oft repeated refrain, "Staying at home is how one helps the most," just didn't resonate with me. I became a member of #RockEdCarpool Facebook page and saw how coordinators signed up volunteer drivers with cars, and matched them with frontliners needing rides. I was there when the service was born and I saw how it grew. Pictures of very appreciative HCWs with their VDrivers flooded the page. 

Seeing the requests for rides and volunteers offering their services grow exponentially, I knew I wanted to be a Volunteer Driver. I told my brother about it.  He said, "You must be suicidal," which sounded like, "You stupid or something?"

A week of reflection came to this: I was single with no kids and living alone, so I would not endanger anyone. Plus I had a car. So I clicked a link on the page for those who wished to be V Drivers. Contact details and personal info were requested, and I had to watch the video on what COVID-19 is and how it is transmitted; another on proper sanitizing and disinfection to prevent cross contamination. I waited for the issuance of a car pass. Meanwhile, I saw that requests and offers for rides were being posted directly.

First day as volunteer

I decided to make my first post: April 11. Volunteer Driver from QC to any point in Metro Manila.

I was overwhelmed with requests from Batangas to Pampanga.

I wanted to start where I lived, pick up the two passengers which were allowed in my sedan and take them to their destination where I could pick up two more to bring on my way back home. I sorted through the requests and found a nurse at the LRT Katipunan Station going to a San Juan hospital. Another, a medical technician to be picked up at the LRT Betty Belmonte Station going to a diagnostic clinic in Makati. I confirmed both. 

I woke up early next day, sanitized my vehicle and readied my masks, alcohol, and trash bag as required. At 5 am the first pick up declined as she found another ride.

My second pickup had walked quite a bit from her house. Shuttle services offered by government and hospitals had pickup and delivery points in major centers and main avenues, but most everyone had to walk to and from their houses. As I dropped her off at her clinic, she thanked me profusely, and asked if she needed to give me money. There were reports of unscrupulous infiltrators who demanded payment – everyone was warned not to offer or accept money – yet she felt she had to ask. When I declined, she offered a meal, pointing to the 7-11 store. I turned it down but thanked her.

I hung around around the area of the Makati Medical Center and posted that I was there for the next half hour if anyone needed a ride anywhere along the way to Quezon City. I logged in to a Zoom reunion of classmates from all over the world as I waited. There were no takers so I headed back home. 

After lunch, I had to pick up a nurse at the LRT Santolan Station and bring her to PGH. I  waited a bit. When she arrived, she apologized as she had to walk from the next city. She handed me the masks I requested. She told me there were no takers from her hospital to ride back with me. Many of the nurses where being housed in a hotel near their hospital, and were taking 7-day shifts before returning home. The rooms were great, she said, but food allocations were scarce and they had to spend on food deliveries.

I asked the same questions to everyone: where they studied, how long and where they had been working, and finally, if they had experiences with COVID-19  patients. 

Their stories

M. told me she was a nurse in a university clinic but had recently moved to the PGH. The pay was better and the work, more challenging. I joked that surely she had never imagined it would ever be this challenging. She was silent, though she might have smiled beneath her mask.

She told me her hospital had become a COVID-19 center so all nurses from all wards had to rotate and serve the infected patients. She said PPEs were in short supply at the start of the crisis, but had become more available. She dreaded the thought of having to don it as she was claustrophobic and it was really difficult to breathe in them. To maximize their use, they had to stay in the COVID-19 ward for 4 hours before  disposing of the gear. I felt her pain – the N95 mask I had on was making it difficult for me to breathe in spite of the fresh air from my car window.

When we got to her stop, she thanked me sweetly, hopped off the car, and walked with a spring in her step past the checkpoint manned by soldiers at the gate. She was in denim shorts and sneakers, but very soon I imagined her looking like an astronaut in protective gear.

I checked the carpool page when I got home, ready and raring to go again.

I didn't want to cut it too close to curfew hours as I had no car pass yet. I pestered the admin to issue me an ID. I booked my rides for the next day. It was Easter Sunday, and I had risen. 

Exhausted, terrified

When I started the day at dawn, I was full of energy, hope, and courage.

By dusk, I was exausted, broken, and terrified.

These excerpts of my last post on the #RochEdCarpool Fb page explains why:

Guys, please forgive me but I am bailing out of this carpool. Yesterday morning I picked up a medical technologist to bring her to a diagnostic lab in Makati. In the afternoon I picked up M. in the Santolan LRT station to bring her to the PGH. She is a nurse who services the COVID-19 ward. She didn't appear to be scared, but admitted that all of them at work are terrified.

This morning, I picked up nurse M. at Monumento, then nurse aid J. at Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. I brought one to the National Kidney Transplant Institute and the other to a hospital in Makati.

At noon, Chrystelbelle, the coordinator for Manila Doctor's Hospital, had read my posts and immediately sent me a car pass; she gave me the details of a radiologist for pickup at LRT Pureza station, and then R. at LRT Blumentritt station. I thought these two stations were beside each other, but it turned out they were far apart, and I got really lost. 

R. is a nurse in the COVID-19 ward and had treated someone who was infected with the virus in the early days. She just completed her 14-day quarantine after testing negative for the virus, and she hopes to get her clearance today; she is raring to go back!

I was really glad to take both of them to the Manila Doctors Hospital because I was born there.

I got a message from the nurse in Makati so I picked her up to bring her back to Monumento. On the way, the gas gauge started to flash empty, so I pulled into a gas station. M. offered to share so we gave P100 each. When she got off  I thought to myself, yesterday I loaded P500 pesos and today P200. For that amount I could have driven all the way to Baler.

Chrystelbelle got in touch if I could make more trips. I begged off (except for a quick lunch I had been driving 11 hours since 5 am) as I was exhausted.

I got a call from JP, who said they had gotten my application. He wanted to get some details so I could be given a car pass. I began to seriously consider the whole thing... I decided to back out.

My back has been killing me the and though I turned 60 only last September, I really feel like the senior citizen that I am. When JP inquired whether I had infants or elderly companions in my house, I answered no, I live alone. But by definition I am elderly myself, whether or not I admit it.

My mom turned 99 last week, so I really want to see her soonest, at her age you never know...

I just got in touch with JP again and I told him this ancient volunteer driver is calling it quits.

I never realized how difficult it would be to become a volunteer driver. It is backbreaking, dangerous, and quite expensive.

May you all live long (and prosper) !!!"

Soldiering on

When I sent this post, within a minute I was deluged with messages of gratitude, expressions of love, and  salutations. Most touching was from a nurse from the Manila Doctors Hospital who had survived COVID-19:

"Sir I am PH 204, Thank you for being a hero." 

This brought me to tears.

The outpouring of gratitude still continues as of this writing. Head honcho Gang got in touch. I told her I had never been thanked  for backing out of a commitment, and it made me teary. "Good, that means you have not become a robot," she said dryly.

I admit, I do not want to die the painful death that COVID-19 brings. 

Thirty years ago, I was in the hospital for a month due to Guillen Barre Syndrome, an illness that brings on ascending paralysis, and at times, a collapse of the lungs ( to this day scientists do not know how it is acquired). For 3 weeks I was in  ICU, intubated and connected to a ventilator, unable to breathe on my own. I never ever want to experience it again. 

Yes, I am afraid. All the volunteers and frontliners are afraid. But courage is soldiering on in spite of this fear, in answer to a higher calling.

There is no shame in quitting. More than a hundred health workers and frontliners have assured me. Gang tells me I have a "way bigger commitment."

Perhaps that commitment is to simply stay alive and stay home, which keeps others alive. 

It is for us to discern how we truly can be of service to humanity.

Whatever roles we choose, let us do so with good humor and resolve.

For those who put themselves in harm's way in the service of mankind, we can do no less. – Rappler.com

Ricky Avanceña was press officer for the Presidential Committee on Human Rights under the Cory Aquino administration, and communications director for Senators Wigberto Tañada, Raul Roco, and Edgardo Angara. He was awarded a National Book Award by the Manila Critics Circle for the book Baler, which he co- authored. He is currently Communications Director of the Ecological Society of the Philippines.

MANILA, Philippines— Documentary films of students from the University of Makati (UMak) nabbed the top spots of the 2019 Class Project, dominating the intercollegiate mini-documentary competition.

In an announcement made on Friday, April 17, 3 documentary films by University of Makati reigned supreme out of 45 entries all over the country in the competition organized by Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc, together with ABS-CBN and Philippine Association of Communication Educators (PACE).

The entries were judged according to content, production quality, narrative flow, and impact. They also had to feature any of the following core values: social justice; passion to serve; commitment to holistic learning; integrity; and nationalism.

Students enrolled in educational institutions with faculty members affiliated with PACE were qualified to join the competition.

The films Titser Gennie, Kulitan, and Mga Batang Anipa bagged the first, second, and third places respectively in the competition.

Titser Gennie, a film by UMak broadcast production student Elijah Pares, depicts the struggles of Gennie Victoria Panguelo, a teacher who devotes her life to teaching her fellow Aetas in Tarukan, Tarlac. While everybody else dreams of a modern life, Panguelo leaves the comforts of her home and family to be with her fellow Aetas.

The film Kulitan by UMak broadcast production student Ederwin Capungcol, stresses the importance of the Kulitan, an indigenous script used for writing Kapampangan. The language is spoken in Pampanga and nearby areas.

Mga Batang Anipa follows the long journey that several students of Casili Elementary School go through just to reach their school.

These students  from Sitio Anipa in Rizal often share floats to follow the current of the river and reach their school in Rodriguez. This sometimes leaves the students drenched in water as they carry their school bags. They also get hurt when the float capsizes and they hit the rocks.

The film was directed by UMak broadcast production students Maria Fyl Gultian and Alundra Villanueva.

Aside from the top three spots, a film titled Ang Munting Karera ni Vash by UMak broadcast production students Eloisa Jane Palermo and John Rafael Delegencia also made it to the top 10.

Other schools also landed as finalists in the annual mini- documentary competition.

The finalists were Binhi and Iskolar ng Merkado from Palawan State University, City Painted in Red from Saint Louis University, Hiling sa Dapithapon from the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Laguna, Aruga from Udaneta City University, and Hachiko ng Lapu-Lapu from Cebu Normal University.

The top 3 winners will be given cash prizes of P30,000, P20,000 and P10,000, along with a certificate and trophy. 

Finalists, meanwhile, will receive a certificate and a cash prize of P5,000.

Knowledge Channel had cancelled the awards ceremony for the competition due to the coronavirus pandemic. The winners' cash prizes will be given via money transfer.

The documentary competition aims to give students a chance to hone their professional filmmaking skills and have their documentaries showcased to a wider audience. 

The 10 winning documentaries will be featured in the Class Project Winners' Festival on Knowledge Channel in May, and will be available on iWant. – Rappler.com

John Philip Bravo is a Rappler mover from Manila. He is the National Chairperson of Young Filipino Advocates of Critical Thinking (yFACTph), an organization of youth leaders advocating for responsible social media use.

MANILA, Philippines – Student publications from various De La Salle University campuses echoed calls for their school administrators to suspend online classes, in a solidarity statement published on Sunday, April 19.

Hailing from De La Salle Lipa, Dasmariñas, Manila, Benilde, and Bacolod, the student publications urged school administrators to reconsider their academic directives during the coronavirus outbreak, and uphold equal educational opportunities for all Lasallians.

The student publications said there are 3 main hurdles to online learning that are the same for Lasallians from different campuses: accessibility, quality education, and students' well-being.

The student publications reiterated that not all Lasallians have access to electronic devices and internet connection, posing a problem especially for those with limited resources and scholars who may have been relying on campus equipment for easy access.

They added that online platforms and use of recorded educational content might be insufficient for skill-based degrees since students will only gain a limited understanding of the lectures.

They pointed out that academic requirements in the middle of an outbreak are an added burden on top of existing struggles, especially as students may feel stressed and uncertain during this challenging time.

Students may also come from families facing challenges in terms of their financial and emotional status.

"This transition to make use of online educational platforms – though well-intended – has instead become a source of difficulty for our fellow Lasallians who are not as privileged in their means and resources that this online setup demands," the student publications said.

These issues were collated by the student publications based on concerns raised in published articles, editorials, formal correspondence, and numerous online petitions throughout social media that were released "in the hopes of having such concerns acknowledged by the schools' administrators."

Student governments from the De La Salle campuses have made proposals, letters, and statements calling on their respective administrations to suspend online classes.

The student government of De La Salle University Manila even submitted a petition along with their counterparts from the Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, and University of Santo Tomas, asking the Commission on Higher Education to suspend online classes nationwide.

"However, these student-led movements to communicate their grievances appear to have been downplayed by educators," the student publications said.

The student publications called on school administrators to immediately suspend online classes and requirements, conduct mass promotion across all degree programs, and issue partial refund of school fees in light of limited access to campus resources.

They emphasized that continuing with online classes on the pretext of providing a sense of normalcy is an "injustice" to students who are struggling to cope with academic demands during the outbreak.

They added that mass promotion will "fairly address" the disparity among students' current living conditions.

"Indeed, these are not normal times, and our value for inclusivity, empathy, and humanity should remain the top priority of our Lasallian schools, even if doing such would be at the expense of suspending many of our educational proceedings," the student publications said.

The student publications included in the solidarity statement are Lavoxa Group of Publications, Heraldo Filipino, Ang Pahayagang Plaridel, Malate Literary Folio, Benildean Press Corps, Benildean Yearbook Office, and The Spectrum. – Rappler.com

Disasters and conflicts often compel families and communities to leave their places of origin, in search for safer grounds. As humanitarian crises persist, internally displaced persons (IDPs) are forced by their circumstances to live in dismal conditions in camps and transitory shelters. They lack adequate housing, have limited access to food, water, and basic services, and suffer from disrupted economic and educational activities.

In the Philippines, such realities of displacements have become a natural occurrence post-crisis. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC), around 4 million Filipinos were displaced in 2018. As earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and armed conflict continue to happen in the country, millions of people live in displacement for weeks, months, or even years. As displacements endure, funding and development support dwindle through time. IDPs slowly become a forgotten population, both in the human development frameworks and in the national consciousness. 

On top of these already difficult realities, the new coronavirus poses bigger threats on the lives and well-being of an already vulnerable, and usually forgotten, displaced populace. 

COVID-19 took the world like a shockwave whisper. In just a few weeks, thousands of patients have died, and more than a million people have become infected. The virus does not discriminate – it hits both the young and the old, and the rich and the poor – but it exacerbates already existing vulnerabilities. The elderly and those with comorbidities or pre-existing conditions are particularly susceptible to the disease. Those with no means of availing healthcare or who live in shanties are also at a higher risk of contracting the virus. (READ: 'Walang-wala na': Poor Filipinos fear death from hunger more than coronavirus)

Displaced communities experience these issues at a more magnified scale. Evacuation camps and transitory shelters are cramped and usually without strict partitions, making the spread of the virus faster from one household to another. Access to water for hygiene purposes is intermittent or worse, non-existent. Health care facilities are usually unavailable in displacement sites. Programmed in-kind provisions also do not include protective items such as facemasks, soap, rubbing alcohol, and sanitary wipes. As livelihood opportunities are limited in evacuation sites, IDPs are forced to find work outside the camps, making them more exposed to the virus. Information dissemination on disease transmission is also neglected, if not totally disregarded. (READ: Lumad evacuees adjust to life under coronavirus lockdown)

At the governance side, governments are at a loss on how to quickly respond to the devastation of the virus. With limited resources on hand and a strict public safety framework, local government units cannot fully respond to the health emergency. The plight of displaced communities is usually not included in welfare programming. The social amelioration program provides certain support for families without homes, yet the program cannot fully address the persistent issues that IDPs face. They remain in cramped spaces in evacuation sites, with limited access to water, and without necessary protective and hygiene items.

This is another challenge to governments in this trying time. In a reality where IDPs are invisible, it is the duty of the State to ensure that this already marginalized sector will not be exposed to further vulnerability. Displaced communities are in a particularly critical situation, and they should be included and considered in the development of quarantine frameworks and mobility lockdowns. To forget IDPs in the local and national crisis response is to subject this already vulnerable population to another layer of challenges that impede their capacity to live with dignity. (READ: LIST: Groups help vulnerable sectors affected by coronavirus lockdown)

In the 22^nd anniversary of the UN Guiding Principles of Internal Displacement, we remember the challenges faced by displaced communities, the resilience of IDPs, and the primary duty of governments to ensure that IDPs are able to achieve their desired durable solutions. Their rights did not end when they become displaced; it is by the virtue of their displacement that they must be given ample importance. As the deadly disease ravages the country, we must protect our displaced communities through their meaningful inclusion in crisis response. 

In this difficult time of COVID-19 emergency, we must not leave our IDPs behind. – Rappler.com

Reinna Bermudez is OIC Chief of the Commission on Human Rights' Center for Crisis, Conflict, and Humanitarian Protection. She is also Juris Doctor student at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

MANILA, Philippines – More than just a health crisis, the coronavirus pandemic also poses challenges to environmental advocates and communities. (READ: [ANALYSIS] Incineration of coronavirus wastes will worsen the situation) 

What's the impact of the pandemic and the lockdown on our environment? While advocates agree that health concerns take precedence, what can be done to address the negative effects of the surge of single-use plastic during this time? (READ: NEDA urges manufacturers to switch to products for coronavirus fight) 

In celebration of Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, MovePH, Rappler's civic engagement arm is holding a webinar to tackle these environmental concerns during this coronavirus pandemic. The webinar will take place at 3 pm. (READ: Filipinos find ways to improvise safety in the time of coronavirus) 

Hosted by Pia Ranada, the webinar will bring in advocates Coleen Salamat from Oceana and Meah Ang See from the Buhay Zero Waste community. 

The webinar is open to the public but slots are limited. You can reserve your slot here. 

The webinar will stream on Rappler's YouTube and Facebook accounts on Saturday, April 25. – Rappler.com