Imagine if you are in a world pitch black dark, a world with no source of light at all, even from a piece of the star, somehow similar to being blind. What would you do, can you continue and live your life? Can you wake up and immediately distinguish if you’re already awake or not, given the darkness? Can you eat, shower, drive to your work, and work? Can you live your life? In this pitch-black world.
These were the things I’ve imagined that also gave birth to me questioning myself and now questioning all of you, at this moment, the time of the pandemic.
December 1, 2019, the first symptom onset of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The first alarm for our front liners. Further research was done by our front liners, immediate action and prevention were planned and implemented by our front liners. And serving the people to ease the worries, answer the questions, and protect their well-being are the priorities of our front liners. The start of the pandemic is also the beginning of the decreasing light of the world. Amid the darkness, there is a moon, our light. Amidst the pandemic, there are front liners, gleaming their shine, representing our hope.
Frontliners are the ones who keep this world moving, as they are serving us, the people of this nation, who practically comprise this world. There are tons of frontliners in different sectors such as healthcare, foods and goods, transportation, public safety, and it’s too many to mention.
All these front liners have attributes in common, attributes that made them honorable and respectable in the eyes of all nations. They are all patient, understanding, have courage, and do sacrifices-which reminds me of Letranites and the Letran itself throughout the 400 years.
Patience and Understanding. The attributes all our frontliners possess, and yet, seldomly recognized by many of us. When in fact, these are the first to comfort us or make it possible for us to be satisfied with their given services.
These traits are the ones who calmed down our high functioning issues- whether it’s about our alarming state of health, our bothering safety, or even our growling stomach every time we are hungry. They provided us with our deserved health care, legally right regulations that would make us feel safe, and newly-cooked meals that would satisfy our cravings despite our clearly shown in the face disappointment or raising of voices because of our impatientness, and typically our selfishness.
These traits are the ones that assisted their co-workers in these trying times. It is what encouraged them to be stronger and fight, as these traits assured each one of them that they are all in this together. Because we all know nothing could ever top the feeling of assurance when you know you have someone who’s in the same boat as you.
Additionally, these traits are the ones that kept them going the extra mile despite the insufficient salary their employers are giving to them. And all the extra working hours without its deserved benefits. Because they know that they are committed in service to us and will always be needing them rain or shine.
Ever since the pandemic, it has been really a challenging year for us, but mostly to our front liners. Some of them lost their jobs and some of them were overworked. This pandemic has really forced our front liners to give their 110%. It pushed them to work harder until the point where it went beyond their maximum limit and even compromised their health as well as their families.
Sacrifices such as not going home after work and fighting the severity of homesickness are made by our front liners for the sake of their families. They missed the important occasions of their loved ones staying at work for several hours, but this time, it is for the sake of the people.
All these sacrifices unveiled their unimaginable courageousness. As the minute they woke up, they were always ready to work and face the unseen enemy. The mere fact that they never doubt in serving the people amidst the threat of this deadly virus is something way beyond extraordinary, that there is no word to perfectly describe it.
And here comes death, the reason why we are all gathered here today. Death- an inevitable event that even the single light in the middle of the dark- had experienced. Front liners are constantly faced with death- through the people they serve and even by themselves.
The death of our front liners may be natural or because of the inhumane treatment of the system. But, regardless of their cause of death, their impact on our nation remains the same. Their death doesn’t affect their sacrifices, as it will remain forever in our hearts, but it will have a big impact on their families and the industry because we have lost another source of light amid this darkness.
As we put our beloved frontliners at rest, we only buried their bodies, not their sacrifices nor their souls. All the admirable things and deeds they have done will forever be the foundation of our strengths in the next years that will come by. Their spirits will last and continue to shine their silvery light in this darkness that will eventually turn into brightness. The world may not be the same without them, but the world will never be this bright without the sacrifices and years they had given and lived.