by Sherina D. Dimo, PhD, West Visayas State University
The journey of life is not quick, nor is it easy. It’s full of seeing, feeling, and learning; a whole lifetime of these three processes that will lead you to little details and sudden realizations. In the end, no matter which of the three occur first, you gain something from them: awareness. We grow up and experience what our lives have to offer, but sometimes, we limit these experiences only to what is right in front of us. Often, we don’t even see past the tip of our noses. The awareness we gain from seeing only through our own eyes may be enough to fuel and change ourselves.
Awareness shouldn’t just benefit ourselves, but rather, the people around us as well. No matter how far from us these people are when we educate ourselves on a grave issue that may not take a toll on us but ruins the lives of other people, we can connect with them. Someway, somehow, we empathize with people who have been suffering from the great loss that this pandemic has caused us. We see their pleas for help, we feel their pain, we learn of the horrors they’ve had to face. We do not live the same lives, but we see their suffering, and the pain of just watching what they have to go through moves us to enact change. We realize that just watching from the sidelines as the rest of the world burns will never be enough. To make the future we all dream of a reality, we must work together to educate ourselves and the people around us.
Back during the year 2019, a virus spread throughout the world and is still growing as of now, continuing to take the lives of many. Our country has reached more than a million COVID-19 cases. Made worse by failed contact tracing, confusing protocols, incoherent policies, lack of transparency, and a slow vaccine rollout, all have led to thousands of deaths. Health Workers who wear PPEs and risk their lives every day - suffering in sorrow and exhaustion; away from their loved ones. Frontliners whose passion for work is slowly fading, trying to revive the fire that used to keep them striving to live with passion, are now all gone due to the absence of what we call life. Demotivated, exhausted, and overworked Filipinos are what we could all see around us, trying to survive this dreading pandemic, hoping for a better tomorrow. Seeing children having a hard time adjusting to the new normal, higher expectations are trying to be reached, and a great amount of pressure is being put on them, causing a rise in deaths due to depression. Increasing numbers of unemployed workers due to numerous companies shutting down. Government officials' delayed response and lack of resources have made us all hopeless about what our future could become.
At times like these, when the whole world seems to be on the brink of destruction, this awareness, or lack thereof, shines through the most. When we raise our voices and lift our intentions to whoever will listen, we try to make the best out of everything, and when we thrive while soaring greater heights; we create a change in the world that can only be achieved by the ones who are aware that this change needs to be made. When one person steps forward, others follow. When one person speaks up against an abuser, other victims feel seen. They feel as if they aren’t alone in a situation. A single-lit match thrown into a sea of unmoving gas creates a powerful, burning fire that is hard to extinguish. Nowadays, as we stay at home, a huge chunk of the things we see come from the online platforms we frequent. Seeing the growing number of COVID-19-positive cases in our country, the many Filipinos not being able to receive support from the government, the front liners not having enough personal protective equipment and ordinary citizens being put to jail for violating quarantine measures while the rich doing the same are free to do so. Sometimes, people won’t even make the effort to try anymore.
However, despite that, we can see our fellow Filipinos rising from the overwhelming pressure and bringing in their smiles, and continuing with their lives. Despite the numerous typhoons, countless lockdowns, recessions, and the danger that surrounds us, we became resilient and stood up against oppression. We recovered fast and achieved more; watching our fellow kind winning international pageants, seeing a Filipina winning a gold medal, and watching our journalists winning Nobel prizes, marking our country’s name in history has given us some kind of light in a very dark tunnel that we have been for a very long time. Which made us all see that despite the heavyweight that this pandemic brought us; it is not impossible to reach your dreams. As we are Filipinos, we always survive in any circumstances and have a heart that is willing to help our own kind. And if these people had the will to win, then weas individuals also have it. We might not be able to fight all the battles the world gives to us, as one person cannot do everything, even so overcoming this pandemic as a united country makes a difference. As everyone is suffering, we become aware that life will never be as easy as we thought. The journey of life is long and hard, but even more so for the others who do not hold the same privilege as a lot of people do. Let us do our part, for both ourselves and those who need it most. The road to a better world for every single person begins with us, and the traits we raise are fundamental to the change the world needs, because as humans; we innovate and create solutions that change our path to reach greater heights.
This essay was published in the print issue of The Teacher's Guide Literary Supplement (May 2023).