“What a dark episode” I gasped as I closed my laptop. Then I realized,”…so do the reality.

The way I see our situation is like we are on a Black Mirror episode – scary and unpredictable. The fact that this
crisis put us to a scenario living our daily lives depending on technology. Our way of life drastically changed during
lockdown and we decided to do the alternatives for our traditional activities – like how do people work, study and
entertain themselves. Everything has changed in just a snap..

As time passes, my worries grow and starting to questioned like how long we would live this way? Everyday, I pray
that the vaccine for this virus will be discovered soon because it’s really concerning how there’s more growing
numbers of confirmed and deaths than who recovered.

If I would summarize how do I spend my day during the quarantine – well, I’m busy doing my school works. Instead
of traveling two hours to attend class, now I would open my phone and laptop, checking out the requirements I
must do. Personally, I don’t have a complain on making school outputs at home but this unstable internet
connection put me in difficult situation. These past few days, it was not easy for me. I even tried to spend money
on my phone’s mobile data but the signal was just so weak and it hinders me to do my assignments peacefully.

These experiences made me realize that, I would still prefer the regular classes over online classes. I started to miss
doing performances than spending my whole day in making outputs. It is actually quite stressful doing outputs
alone. Well, atleast in ordinary class, there’s a balance of making outputs on your own and working in groups.
Moreover, I find myself more distracted in studying in the house than in school. I guess it’s because my home is my
comfort zone and there’s no pressure for me to focus on my student duties. Basically, my whole quarantine
experienced so far are all about submitting all my school tasks.

But the most thing I have missed during the quarantine was socializing with my classmates and friends. I missed
eating lunch with them and listening to their unlimited stories. Just like any other people, I learned to appreciate
more the genuine social interactions I had.

It was difficult to grasp everything during the first week of lockdown. Everything was so sudden, and there are
plans that didn’t happen anymore because we are supposed to stay at home. One thing for sure is that I won’t lose
hope that we’ll overcome and survive this pandemic.

We’re still on the conflict part of the story and hopefully we’ll get the resolution soon, as well as the end we desire
for this episode of our life.
All I knew
This morning when I woke
Is I know something now, know something now I didn’t before
And all I’ve seen…..

(Everything Has Changed , Taylor Swift)

It’s already 5 in the afternoon and the barangay officials of our subdivision are starting to roaming
around in our area. I saw it from there inside my house. Right now, I’m on my phone, staring out the
window while listening to this Taylor Swift’s song.

All I know since yesterday, yeah

Is everything has changed

(Everything Has Changed,Taylor Swift)

Our country is currently fighting against COVID-19 and this phenomena drastically change the way we
live. Never in my wildest dreams that I will witness this lockdown. Almost everything has stopped,
particularly our outdoor activities. Honestly, I have mixed feelings of this crisis.

One of the changes I have observed is the process of how the payment is done, specifically the utility
bills. Most of people preferred to do it online because it doesn’t require them to be physically present
during the transaction. While for the schools, they currently struggle due to the class suspensions. That
is why most schools considered the use of technology and do online class as alternative. However, they
eventually discovered that there are students who struggle in fulfilling their online tasks due to
lockdown. There are issues of lack of materials and unstable internet connection in their locations,
especially to those came from provinces. Good thing, most schools are being considerate to their
students. Come to think of it, students went out from home, risk their lives just to comply their school
tasks. Well, this somehow lose the intention of lockdown because they had no choice but to do such
thing, or else it would affect their grade. Can’t blame them because there are students after all. Its scary
how they are more now terrified to get low grades than be infected of COVID-19.

Moreover, there is also hoarding happened before and during the lockdown which cause sudden out of
stock of necessities like mask and alcohol. Aside from the mentioned items, some people bought large
quantity of grocery items. This is either for their own good or they are planning to resell it with greater
price. Sadly, there are people who took advantage of this crisis to earn money. For sure, there are
people who would fall for it because of their desperation to survive.

Negative aside, in amidst of crisis, the BAYANIHAN among Filipinos is very evident. First of all, we
have doctors and nurses to help those who are infected. As well as the policemen who are assigned to
keep the peace and order during the lockdown. As a daughter of a police officer, I am worried to see my
father traveling alone but I understand he has a duty to fulfill. I want that worries and fear to fade and
be more proud instead because my father is one of the frontliner during this crisis. All of them made a
choice to sacrifice – to leave their own families for the greater good of the country.

Well, there are more people who risk their lives – the workers, particularly who are paid daily for their
job. We are all afraid to be infected but they are more terrified that they have nothing to provide the
needs of their family. Right now, the workers are not only against the virus but also to traffic and lack of
transportation. They struggle a lot to the point they choose not follow the rules, such as the one-sit-
apart distance in public transportation. Moreover, some of them end up walking hundred miles for the
sake of their job. The desperation to attend their work is what keeps them battling with all the odds
caused by this phenomena.

More of my observation, I think social media plays vital roles in disseminating information about all the
current happenings in the world. The posts in different platform that discuss the user’s experiences
during the lockdown, as well as the situation in a certain place bring awareness to the mass. Aside from
the fact it informs people, it also help to easily identified the location who are in need. Thus, it become a
medium for people to offer and receive help. Good to see that social media is properly utilized in this
crisis. Recently, there are areas in the province who already received the masks, alcohol and medicines,
donated by those people who had seen the posts.

Indeed, your status won’t matter for you to survive. High or low class, anyone could have it. However, its
a greater struggle to those who work for their daily living and people who had nowhere to go. On the
other hand, the silver lining of this crisis is that people learned to value their health. It’s a Filipino culture
that they won’t go to hospital not unless they feel something wrong. This phenomena is in fact a wake
up call to every Filipinos to take care of their health. We tend to take for granted this kind of issue, but
seeing how this virus cause series of death just speaks to its existence that this is a serious thing. We
faced this crisis with uncertainty of what would happen in the following days. We should not be worry
tomorrow and instead face the today to make a better tomorrow and future for everyone.

We will get through this and we will survive. Remember that these changes are just temporary ‘cause
everything will back to what it used to be.