It has been almost two months since the community quarantine was regulated in the Philippines and other parts of the globe. Things suddenly changed not just for me, but for everybody. It is kind of amazing (and not in a wholly positive way) to think how a microscopic thing can turn the whole world topsy-turvy.

The coronavirus has put the world in almost silent chaos. The crowded and busy streets all over the world suddenly became almost empty and on pause. Most, if not all, people do not dare leave their houses in the fear of catching the virus that could kill them or their loved ones. Everyone is keeping a good distance from others. It is crazy to think how we were never scared before to be anywhere near another human being. Now, it’s becoming a norm to be at least one meter apart from another person.

As a worker at a charity, I have the privilege of meeting and working with great doctors and nurses, and other medical personnel who attend to our patients without much to gain (at least financially), because they volunteer their time and services to the poor. This makes me admire them so much. And now that they are working tirelessly on the frontlines, I hope that we can all appreciate the sacrifices they make to work and fight to keep us all healthy and safe.

With everything that is happening around us, I know that we are all affected and we are trying our best to cope with the situation. As for me, my work was affected but I am still grateful to be able to do it from home. It’s just kinda hard to do stuff you have to do like going to the grocery stores as there are long lines and long waiting times. We don’t own a vehicle and due to lockdown, they stopped the operations of public transportation so when we have to go to the supermarket, we have to walk back and forth. Aside from that, we were given a pass per family and only one member per family can go out if you need to. There is security personnel in each area and they will have to ask you questions before they can grant your request to go out. You have to present your pass given to you. It’s hard. But there’s a good reason why they’re strictly doing that.

I know that some of us are dealing with greater challenges; some have lost their jobs or even more sadly, their lives, or the ones that are dearest to them. But if we try looking at the bigger picture and support one another despite the physical distance, little by little we can all recover. When we spread love and hope and positivity, the faith in humanity will be restored, and the spread of the virus will be put to an end eventually. I hope that we will all work together to fight for ourselves and each other.