A FILIPINO WORKER’S RESILIENCE AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

A Thesis
Presented To
The Faculty of College
National University Laguna
Km. 53, Pan-Philippine Highway,
Brgy. Milagrosa, Calamba City, Laguna

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Subject
Introduction to Psychology

By:

Pasahol, Nicole
Penid, Alwin
Revilla, Vin Nicole
Roldan, Lovely Joy
Roset, Angelica Mae
Samson, Ribeth Loujie Rose

November 2020
Introduction

It is during difficult times do we get to experience extreme circumstances that put us into
turmoil and despair. On a human’s span of a lifetime, some occurrences happened beyond their will
and out of their control. As such phenomena like Natural and Human-caused disasters cause severe
damage to lives and property, there are Mass Traumas such as infectious disease outbreaks, incidents
of community unrest, and other types of traumatic events that can bring out strong emotions in people
(Samhsa, 2020).
In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, possible-stress-related reactions could be anxiety,
irritability, and reduced productivity which is mostly experienced by the majority (Brooks et al.,
2020). Lifestyle has changed, as well as the ability to communicate, paving way for individuals to be
in prolonged isolation, and to feel a sense of disconnection (Cacioppo, Capitanio, & Cole, 2015).
With the restricted communication, this makes distress and anxiety normal responses to such
circumstances whose severity can partially depend on the quarantine duration (Brooks et al., 2020).
There has also been major loss with families that have experienced the deaths of their loved
ones. For labor markets, many businesses have shut down leading to loss of business and jobs which
has a tremendous impact on financial security and livelihood. While young adults get to face the loss
of their dreams and hopes of pursuing a career (Walsh, 2020).
It is under extreme circumstances humans get out of their situation and develop a mindset
capable of surpassing struggles. This is where the concept of resilience enters. Resilience by
definition is an umbrella term that includes a range of ways in which a system responds to external
stresses, major disruptions, and new circumstances (Holling 1973; Kapucu, Hawkins, and Rivera
2013; Manyena 2006; Mileti 1999; Norris et al. 2008). It emphasizes how people react to a
disturbance and how they deal with it at hand. Supported by Cartalis (2014), it is also a system that
has enough adaptive capacity to face stress and can undergo transformational change and become a
different type of change.
In a crisis like this global pandemic, disaster resilience is often recognized. Since such actions
are needed to combat occurrences, it has been taken globally in the pursuit of reducing the impacts of
disasters and strengthening communities (United Nations 2015; National Research Council 2012; The
Rockerfeller Foundation 2017; Santos and Leitmann 2016). Starting from one and leading to the
other, through supportive cooperation; change was made possible. As Weick and Sutcliffe (2007)
believed it is unexpected events that audit resilience. But for the most part, is also resilience that
incites change.
Resilience can be considered at several scales, such as the individual, household, local,
regional, and national scale. As for categories, there are industries, knowledge production,
entrepreneurship, and labor markets (Martin 2018) that such disturbances take place. Ranging from
macro-level to multi-local shocks, it starts from wars and financial crises to collapsed industry, up to
local disruption. It is in these situations where vulnerability is visible. Vulnerability is seen in terms of
the biophysical impact on the population as well as how sensitive communities are to these impacts
and their capacity to cope (Cutter, Ash, and Emrich 2014). These make people more exposed to
danger as vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of a population or a region to harm (World Health
Organization 2010, p. 2). With that said, impacts of disaster events can be seen such as failures of
hospitals and transport systems, lack of access to health services because of storms and floods,
failures in risk communication and provision of medical care (Chang et al. 2014; Francis and Bekera
2014; International Panel on Climate Change 2012; Larkin et al. 2015; McDaniels et al. 2015; Rosati,
Touzinsky, and Lillycrop 2015).
For workers, especially on the medical field and front lines, they are most likely to be
separated from their families and are more prone to unusual situations. That makes them more
exposed to the virus, the fear of contagion, and feelings of failure which in terms of technical means,
can sometimes be insufficient to assist patients. Bought by these circumstances, healthcare workers
find it extremely challenging to remain healthy in these rapidly evolving situations, especially with
the risk of depression, anxiety, and burnout lingering. In connection, they are also at risk for 'moral
injury' when solving ethical challenges bought by the pandemic such as working in conditions with
insufficient resources, situations of triage, inadequate palliative care, and failure of supporting
relatives of terminal patients adequately (Greenberg et al., 2020).
This leads to regional resilience which is a conceptual framework that is useful in helping
people think about regions in a dynamic, holistic, and systematic way. This is connected with adaptive
resilience as it enables social units to reevaluate their circumstances, learn from their disaster
experiences, and adjust their strategies in light of the 'new normal' ushered in by the disaster (Tierney,
2012b, p. xiv). This became a coping strategy not only to individuals but to society as a whole. With
the time spent on reflection, one would deter the lesson bought by the occurrences and use it on
adapting to the new setting. This makes adaptive resilience a dynamic oscillation which alternates
between loss and restoration, focused at times on grief or at other times, emerging challenges (Stroebe
& Schut, 2010).
Everyone today is having a hard time living every day because of this pandemic. Some people
experience stress and majority of them are exposed to trauma. Researchers have made a study of who
Filipinos are willing to face this pandemic just to survive daily. The main purpose of this research is
to inform action on how the researchers give importance to those Filipino who work in the middle of
this pandemic and to study how they will cope with their problem amidst pandemic. We pursued this
study with the primary goal to inquire into the perceptions of National Resilience in Filipinos during a
pandemic. Resilience may be a wide concept that constitutes mental and social assets to thrive from
difficult circumstances. Compared with mental or person resilience, research on National Versatility
is restricted (Eshel & Kimhi, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c; Kimhi & Eshel, 2019). This spearheading study
on National Resilience in Filipino grown-ups was conducted to attain two points (1) evaluate the
psychometric properties of the Filipino adjusted National Resilience Scale and (2) decide
demographic and mental factors that impact National Resilience in Filipino. (Callueng, Aruta,
Briones, Diato, 2020).
Aside from showing off how Filipinos workers cope and adapt, it is also through this study
that researchers prove the concept of resilience and its capacity to overcome adversity which goal is to
find valuable application in situations of widespread disaster, collective trauma, and loss (Landau,
2007; Masten & Motti, Stefanidi, 2020; Saul, 2013; Walsh, 2007, 2016b). As building resilience is of
crucial importance in overcoming the present and the future pandemics (Linkov and Trump 2019),
researchers are to prove that resilience foster on focused efforts that master the possible, accept which
is beyond control, and come in to terms with what cannot be changed (Walsh, 2016a, 2016b). As
challenges happen every time, it is through hope that people hold onto in times of overwhelm and
despair. This delves into the Infectious disease outbreak, which is the global COVID-19 pandemic,
and how workers we’re able to ''bounce back'' and how stress systems have evolved to highly adaptive
ways, thereby enabling humans to deal with these challenges (de Kloet et al., 2005).
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

This study was anchored on Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund’s Self-Awareness Theory
(1972). Duval and Wicklund proposed that, at a given moment, people can focus attention on the self
or the external environment. Focusing on the self enables self-evaluation. When self-focused, people
compare the self with standards of correctness that specify how the self ought to think, feel, and
behave. The process of comparing the self with standards allows people to change their behavior and
to experience pride and dissatisfaction with the self. Self-awareness is thus a major mechanism of
self-control.
Self-control, self-regulation, and resilience have been identified as key factors that can
determine success or failure (Artuch, 2014). For an individual to be resilient, one must be aware of his
or her self. One of the most important keys to resilience is self-awareness. Learning more about
yourself, and how you respond to life’s curveballs can help you to develop the resilience that will help
you meet your goals (Stradling, 2014).
Internal self-awareness represents how we see our values, passions, aspirations, fit with our
environment, reactions (including thoughts, feelings, behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses), and
impact on others. A study conducted that has 10 separate investigations with nearly 5,000 participants
have found that internal self-awareness is associated with the higher job and relationship satisfaction,
personal and social control, and happiness; it is negatively related to anxiety, stress, and depression
(Eurich, 2018).

Figure 1: Model of theoretical framework

Figure 1 shows the Self-awareness Theory Model, proposed by Duval and Wicklund (1972).
It was enriched by new research methods. According to the theory, anything that makes people focus
attention on the self will increase self-awareness. Researchers accomplished this by placing people in
front of large mirrors, videotaping them, having people listen to recordings of their voices, or making
people feel like they stick out. Momentary levels of self-awareness are measured by people’s use of
self-referential words and pronouns and by how quickly people recognize self-relevant information.
 This simple system consisting of self, standards, and attentional focus was assumed to operate
according to gestalt consistency principles (Heider, 1960). If a discrepancy was found between self
and standards, negative affect was said to arise. This aversive state then motivated the restoration of
consistency. Two behavioral routes were proposed. People could either actively change their actions,
attitudes, or traits to be more congruent with the representations of the standard or could avoid the
self-focusing stimuli and circumstances. Avoidance effectively terminates the comparison process and
hence preventing all self-evaluation.

Significance of the Study

The researchers will dwell on each Filipino worker’s experiences amidst COVID-19
pandemic in an attempt to know all of their difficulties while working in the ‘new normal’ that we
have, as well as to know how they deal and cope up with the said difficulties that they experience.
With that said, the findings of this study will be of great significance to the following:
Participants, being the ones who will impose self-awareness on how they manage to bounce
back from life’s stressful situations; aiding them into becoming a more resilient person amidst
COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical and Non-medical Frontliners. The result of the study will give them information
on the different difficulties workers experience amidst COVID 19 pandemic. The findings will
support their self-awareness and self-evaluation to relate their current situation to others to figure out
what it is that needs improving with regards to their work experience.
Future Workers. The findings of the study will be able to help them prepare for the
inevitable problems that will occur in their work experience amidst COVID 19 pandemic. With the
understanding of how one can be resilient, future workers will start implementing their self-awareness
early on so that they can withstand problems in the future as they become licensed workers.
Students. The result of the study will provide insights and knowledge on the importance of
self-awareness to students, therefore, helping them mold into resiliency. Especially, in their academics
where they need it most.
Teachers. The main idea of the study will help the teachers have encouragement to think of
ideas that will give proper guidance to the students as they are capable of providing vast and clear
information about the psychology of self-awareness and resiliency as well as the importance of it.
The researchers themselves would widely benefit as well. Throughout the research, they can
enhance their communication skills and cooperation through data gathering. And being a student, they
can apply the knowledge they obtained from their core subject as it is related to this research. Also,
the researchers can acquire knowledge from the topic itself as it would be beneficial to them to know
and understand self-awareness and resiliency.
The findings of this research would incorporate new information for future researchers as
they may come up with a more comprehensive study about Self-awareness and Resiliency. This study
would give them the information needed in their future study as it would widen their understanding as
well.
Scope and Delimitation

The general focus of this study is to know the experiences encountered by Filipino workers
and how they cope with the stresses of the said experiences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic with the
focus on each individual’s self-awareness and ability to cope. This will further emphasize the
importance of self-awareness as a key component of being resilient. Guidelines of the COVID-19
pandemic prevented the researchers from conducting a face to face interview, thus weakening our
methodology for we would neglect vulnerable groups such as older people that don’t make use of the
internet as well as phones. Also, the study will be conducted with a limited amount of financial
resources and time framework.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to have a look into experiences encountered by Filipino workers amidst
COVID-19 pandemic and how they up bring their resiliency.
Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:
1. What are the difficulties and struggles experienced by the participants during the COVID
19 pandemic?
2. How were the participants able to cope with the difficulties they experienced?

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researchers of this study employed a qualitative research as it would provide in-depth
insights and comprehension on the experiences of Filipino workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporters of qualitative research purport that open-ended questions are necessary to
minimize the imposition of predetermined responses when gathering data (Hill, Thompson, &
Williams,1997; Patton, 2002).
Also, this study had utilized an in-depth interview where the interviewer has the freedom to
probe and explore additional questions in response to what are seen as significant replies (Bryman,
2004), while at the same time allowing rapport and empathy to develop between the researcher and
the participant.

Participants

Participants included Filipino workers specifically, medical and non-medical front-liners in

the COVID-19 pandemic mainly because they can provide description of their experiences and are
willing to articulate their difficulties and struggles as well as how they deal with it. Thereby providing
information which will be able to challenge and enrich the researcher’s understanding.
Instrumentation

The research instrument that was used in this study was Phone Interview as it was convenient
for both the researchers and participants to interact with one another. As argued by Vogl (2013),
telephone interviews provide a more balanced distribution of power between interview participants
which clearly shows how participants are given the freedom to speak without restrictions while
researchers serve as a guide to the flow of conversation and to areas they perceive as significant.
With Phone Interviews, the participants are granted anonymity compared to face-to-face
interviews, which at times, can make them uncomfortable. The possibility of losing face is reduced
and participants are more comfortable openly discussing personal opinions (Chapple, 1999;
Opdenakker, 2006; Sturges and Hanrahan, 2004).
Besides, most shy participants are not even comfortable with face-to-face interactions. To
them, having a phone interview is better since it would decrease the fear of them being judged and
pressured. In connection to being pressured, interviewers are encouraged to maintain a certain degree
of distance and formality with research participants. That being said, boundaries should still be
maintained despite the interview being on phone only. (Tucker & Parker, 2014).

Prior research using telephonic qualitative interviews focuses on the emotional and personal
life of interviewees and this includes the emotive experiences of employees within their initial 12
months of employment (Cachia and Millward, 2011). In this study, the Filipino Workers' experience
would be bought up, as well as their struggles. Given that they might recall unpleasant situations
while narrating how they got through it, the researchers would make sure to be sensitive, empathetic,
and respectful of what they've been through.

Data Gathering Procedure

For this research, Purposive sampling was used by the researchers since the purposive
sampling method is a non-probability sample that only picked based on objectives of the study and
characteristics of a population (Crossman, 2020), the researchers had picked people that are currently
working during this pandemic. Particularly selected are those who have experienced struggles and
difficulties but managed to cope and deal with them through their resilience. Using this type of
sampling, the researchers was able to focus on a particular group of interest. By gathering medical and
non-medical workers that were currently working, we were able to look into the hardships and
obstacles they faced during their work that would further prove and show their resilience which is the
main aim of the study.
Participants were contacted through an email containing the details of the research in
agreement to perform the interview. The interview will take place in each respective homes via phone
call, where the participant felt more at ease in their surroundings and thus allowed them to speak
freely and openly about their experiences.
A Semi-structured interview is typically conducted with a series of questions in the general
form of an interview schedule; however, the sequence of questions can be varied. The interviewer also
had some freedom to probe and explore additional questions in response to what is seen as significant
replies (Bryman, 2004), while at the same time allowing rapport and empathy to develop between the
researcher and the participant. An interview schedule was prepared in advance to aid the researcher
with the structure and flow of the interview. Each participant was presented with a similar set of
questions relating to their overall experiences of being a Filipino worker amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
and the impact which it had on their lives.
Open-ended questions like this had allowed the participants more scope to express thoughts
and feelings (especially when sensitive issues are being discussed) and offered more detail on the
research subject (Sarantakos, 1988). The researchers sought to use language that was comprehensible
and relevant to each of the participants being interviewed (Bryman, 2001).
Throughout the whole interview process, the researchers asked follow-up questions. This, in
turn, gave the participants the opportunity to be explicit rather than rely on non-verbal cues (Cachia &
Millward, 2011).

Ethical Considerations

Researchers attained completeness of the study bearing in mind the ethical considerations
especially in observing confidentiality, quality, and human subject information. Absolute
confidentiality of the participants was strictly maintained, letting them know that the information they
have provided will be used for research purposes only.

Analysis of Data

Six research team members followed the consensual qualitative research (CQR) methods (Hill
et al., 1997, 2005) in analyzing the data. By the utilization of the CQR method, reliability is increased,
as the method employs a “checks and balances” approach in which all analysts must consensually
agree on the data analysis. This is important because researchers were aware of each other’s biases,
assumptions, and expectations about the sample and the data, which helped minimize partial or biased
analyses.

APPENDIXES

Interview

After informing the participants that anything they state on our behalf will be kept
confidential and will only be used for research purposes, they are then advised to take into account the
‘new normal’ that we are in with the COVID-19 pandemic when answering the following questions:
1.) What are the difficulties that you have experienced during this pandemic?
2.) With all the difficulties and struggles you experience, what are the ways that help you to
cope up with stress?
3.) What pushes you to move forward?
4.) What do you think about when you feel like giving up?
Transcription of Results
Participant no. 1
QUESTIONS RESPONSE
“Work from home is one of the major
adjustments to face during pandemic.
What are the Having a good internet connection
difficulties that and a laptop/cell phone should be
you have provided by offices to their
experienced employees to cope up with the work
during this from home set up. Another one is the
pandemic? environment during zoom meeting, I
need to find a quiet place to
understand the ongoing meeting.”
With all the “I’m just taking a break when I
difficulties and needed to and asking a help from my
struggles you other subordinates on duty in office.
experience, what Talking to my family and friends
are the ways that helped me a lot to cope up with my
help you to cope stress. Playing with our fur babies is
up with stress? also a great help to me.”
What pushes you “The deadlines and the family of the
to move forward? OFW's who rely and root for my job.”
“I’m just thinking of my deadlines
What do you think whenever I feel like giving up. We
about when you can rest when we feel tired and
feel like giving stressed but still we should keep on
up? going in reaching our goals and
dreams.”
Participant no. 2
QUESTIONS RESPONSE
“Except for food (which is the basic
needs of people) the difficulty that is
What are the
the most common but literally
difficulties that
abundant before, is that, on how I am
you have
going to adapt in this situation.
experienced
Pandemic is not that easy to
during this
encounter. Since the world is
pandemic?
involved, our generation wasn't
experience this before that make us
INTERPRETATION
The respondents said work from
home is the big adjustment this
pandemic. He said that having a good
internet connection and gadgets
should be provided by their offices.
Having a place in the house is also
their problem because they need to
find a quiet place for their meetings.
The respondent is just taking a break
and asking for help from her co-
workers and talking to his family and
friends, also a big help for him to
cope up with stress. Playing with his
pets also has a significant impact on
coping with his stress.
The respondent is genuinely
expressing his feelings when he is
answering the questions because he
talks about his family who are staying
abroad and one of the reasons why he
keeps moving forward on work.
The respondent answers this question
calmly and carefully, he comes up by
thinking his deadline whenever he
feels he’s giving up. He highlighted If
we are tired and stress is not wrong to
take a rest, but still, we should keep
going to reach our goals and dreams.
INTERPRETATION
The respondent has a problem with
how he is going to adapt to the
situation during this pandemic. He
said pandemic is not easy to encounter
because we never experience this
before and make us clueless. But in
the past few months, the respondents
are adapting and surviving in this
pandemic.
 clueless. However, by this means, in
the past few months, adapting and
surviving is the one who I am struggle
the most.”
With all the
“By the problem itself, I used to adapt
difficulties and The respondent adapts and survives
and survive. And stress is on top of it.
struggles you during this pandemic. Stress is the top
By concluding the 'what-is-problem'
experience, what problem, but the respondent still
and how am I going to solve it, I
are the ways that manages to control his situation and
managed to control by what it
help you to cope solve it.
means.”
up with stress?
“To looking that the future indeed, is The respondent honestly answers this
evident in the recent activities that we question; he is looking for the future,
What pushes you
had. What you were working now, is which is true. He said what he's
to move forward?
the result of what you having to do in working on now, what you were
the future.” having in the future.
“Giving up is giving yourself stop by The respondents express his feeling
doing something. Giving up is while answering this question.
What do you showing that you can't control or According to him, giving up is like
think about when manage something. Hence, you try, giving himself by stop doing
you feel like but you doing it by stopping and not something. He states that you try to do
giving up? showing perseverance that it means something, but you stop doing it by
something you can’t do and you were showing perseverance. It doesn't mean
not aware for.” you can't do it or you are not aware.

Participant no. 3
QUESTIONS RESPONSE INTERPRETATION
“The difficulties that I experienced
during this pandemic is that we aren't
Since the respondent is a seafront
What are the allowed to go home due to the
liner, the main difficulty that he
difficulties that restrictions of different countries in
experienced is he cannot go home
you have their airports and ports. We are
immediately because not all the ports
experienced experiencing long exposure at sea that
are open. The airports have a lot of
during this makes us lose our focus and energy to
restrictions, which leads him to
pandemic? work which may result in unexpected
overthink and lose focus.
accidents or errors on board that can
cause our lives.”
“I am just thinking that I am so lucky
to have a job here while others are
The respondent was thinking about
With all the stuck in the Philippines waiting to call
how blessed he is that he has an
difficulties and their name up and to be able to
income source amidst the pandemic.
struggles you neutralize ourselves with the virus is
Different recreational activities such
experience, what one of the good things that we have
as board games, ball games, etc. are
are the ways that here on the ship. Sometimes we are
ways to cope with the sadness and
help you to cope engaging ourselves in different
stress every day in the middle of the
up with stress? activities such as board games, ball
sea.
games, etc. just to make sure that our
mental health is still intact and be able
 to forget about the sadness and stress
on board to move forward with the
everyday challenge.”
“There’s only one thing you can do
The respondent mentioned that moving
when confronted with difficult times:
forward is the only thing you can do
Move forward. Don’t allow the
What pushes you when confronted with difficult times.
challenges of life to break you. Don’t
to move forward? He also said not to let these difficulties
allow these difficult experiences to
stop you from pursuing your dreams
derail you from pursuing your dreams
and give your family a good life.
and giving your family a good life.”
“Thinking that there is a lot of people
depending on me and this is not the The respondent was thinking about the
What do you
time to give up especially on the people who are depending on him, and
think about when
situation that we have right now due he makes sure to maintain his
you feel like
to the global pandemic. I make sure to composure and mindset when he feels
giving up?
maintain my composure and like he is about to give up.
mindset.”

Discussion of the Results

Upon analyzing the responses of the three participants, the researchers had observed three
major struggles that they are facing in their work experience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic mainly:
a.) internet problems due to insufficient gadgets, b.) difficulty in adapting and, c.) restriction of
airports and ports.
Considering the nature and the area of the restrictions such as on suspension of non-essential
activities, a considerable proportion of workers either have to work from home or if their work cannot
be performed at a distance, they stay at home often under an income replacement arrangement. A
worker’s lack of support from their respective offices or even from the government will harm their
work performance since we are now in the middle of a pandemic and face to face work isn’t possible
at the moment. From face to face learning, we are now presented with modular learning and online
learning in which, a stable internet connection is vital in making this learning system successful. Non-
government schools like private schools and Catholic schools are not provided with gadgets and
equipment needed for online learning. With gadgets and equipment not being provided, many Filipino
teachers and employees will find it quite difficult to locate where they would get their resources
considering the added expenses facing the pandemic. Not only that, environmental factors such as
heavy rains and typhoons also harm their work performance since calamities like this will interrupt
the Internet speed resulting in delayed work progress which will lead to unproductive work. With this,
failure to comply with requirements would be impossible, resulting in one’s frustration and irritability
as they go through the struggles bought by the new setting.
In this time, the consequence of adaptation to change becomes more applicable as it's not the
indestructible, not the smartest who survive, but those who can best adapt to change. Especially
during this pandemic that is challenging, affability to current and future changes becomes more
important than ever. The participants are obliged to revise their adaptation when there is a change to
the work process and to consider all risks, including those affecting their mental health.
 The attention of the employee should be given to any deviation or circumstances that cause
problems and how these can help the employee become more resilient in the long term. The
coronavirus interrupts economies throughout the world, employers, and employees must adapt to
quarantine and lockdown and be prepared for one of the worst global recession.
Restriction of airports and ports has also been one of the difficulties workers faced during this
pandemic. As different countries tried to impose travel bans that hinder their movement, people are
left with no choice but to spend a great deal of time waiting for their flight. This increases the
possibility of them getting infected as they’re more exposed to individuals that can potentially be a
carrier of the virus. With the risky environment, they are put in a vulnerable state which harms their
health in the process. On another note, there are also people working overseas that can’t get home as
quickly. This makes them stuck, or as people would call it "stranded", at the place they’re working at
which makes them more vulnerable to risks. As much as health issues go, there’s also the shortage of
food and scarcity of resources which can hugely affect their health. Given that there's just enough
supply of food for the next months and not for the whole year round, this can lead to improper health,
or in the worst case, hunger. In our worker’s case, they get to experience long exposure to the sea and
this is just enough for them to lose focus and energy. Communication can also be cut short. With this,
the gap between workers and families increases. This makes not only the connection but as well as the
relationship, lost. As such occurrences are prominent, work, well-being, and personal relationships are
heavily affected. The same could be said to someone’s state of being as they feel helpless,
disheartened, and defeated by such circumstances.
Coping can involve many different strategies and it is likely they have their preferred ones.
Researchers have come up with two ways to make it easier for us to say how they solve their
problems, whether they stick to the problem or whether they are concerned about their emotions.
First, Problem-focused coping involves that they are actively engaging with the outside world. They
make a way to entertain themselves like talking to their family; a family that will give them strength.
When they experience life challenges, they opt to ask for help from their subordinates to gain more
support in order to continue no matter how difficult the circumstances are. Others prefer to take a
break or rest because sometimes being alone is more relaxing than talking to someone. These coping
strategies are effective to solve their pandemic problem faster because they are focusing on how they
can solve their problem. Next is Emotion-focused coping, attempting to change how they react
sincerely to unpleasant occasions and conditions, instead of to change them at their source. They
continue to resist and live what they should do so that they do not suffer. They learn to control
themselves to survive in the middle of this pandemic. They are Filipinos who will think more about
the welfare of their emotions because being stressed can be harmful to them. These coping techniques
are also efficient to clear up their problem to avoid anxiety or bad feelings. Therefore, researchers
have observed that the most coping strategies amid this pandemic are to entertain themselves by
communicating with their families and the important people in their lives. Most Filipino workers
experience this because they are the one who's most affected by this pandemic so they have no choice
but to fight and think about how they can cope with their problem for their family and themselves.
What keeps the respondents to move forward were either themselves or the other people that need
their help and support. One of the participant is a public servant which was having trouble conforming
but still forced themselves to keep going for them to help other people that are badly in need.
Pondering about how you started instead of how things are going right now is one of the driving
forces for a person to move forward. Participants would rather be exhausted to the point of depletion
as long as they get to benefit societies. This also attests how flexible us Filipinos are when it comes to
unexpected circumstances.
 The use of self-referential words and pronouns is profoundly evident in the responses of the
three participants. The researchers had observed that all participants had made use of self-referential
words and pronouns such as “I”, “I’m”, “me”, “my”, “our”, “we” and lastly, “us”. According to the
Self-awareness Theory Model by Duval and Wicklund (1972), anything that makes people focus
attention on the self will increase self-awareness and these self-referential words and pronouns
measure the momentary levels of self-awareness as it emphasizes how quickly people recognize self-
relevant information. After focusing the attention on the self, the individual will then align themselves
to their standards leaving us with two behavioral routes. People could either avoid the self-focusing
stimuli and circumstances (which effectively terminates the comparison process and hence preventing
all self-evaluation) or actively change their actions, attitudes, or traits to be more congruent with the
representations of the standard. The positive behavioral route of this theory model further supports the
idea of adaptability for it is stated that individuals will change their actions, attitudes, or traits to be
more fitting to its standards. It is said that resilience is the capacity and dynamic process of adaptively
overcoming stress and adversity while maintaining normal psychological and physical functioning
(Russo et al., 2012; Rutter, 2012; Southwick and Charney, 2012).
In our research, the interview encouraged the participant’s self-awareness on their work
experience and difficulties leaving them to have the opportunity to reflect and align their current
situation to their standards (adaptability) which further emphasizes their resiliency navigating in the
new normal that we have today.

Conclusion

From this study, the researchers had concluded that the challenges bought by this pandemic
became a medium for workers to show their resilience. It is also because of this medium that they
were able to adapt and "bounce back" to all the difficulties they have faced. This dotes to the very
core of being human and that's how capable they are of overcoming whatever it is that would come
their way. Though their faith might've wavered and their strength might've been tested, that didn't stop
them from doing their purpose, and that is to be of service in this time of need. As the saying "Duty
Calls", they still made their jobs one of their top priorities and adjusted it in a way that would fit for
today's setting.

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