“A person in public without a mask during a pandemic is like a walking septic tank.

” It is just one
of the line that mark on my mind during this health crisis. Where it all came from? Why do we have to
suffer like this in our own planet?

Coronavirus, also known as COVI-19, is a disease caused by the new discovered coronavirus that
emerged in Chine on December 2019. It mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an
infected person cough, sneeze, or exhale without a proper personal protective equipment. Coronavirus
is a fatal disease that can start from fever, dry cough, and tiredness which can lead to a respiratory
problem or worst, death.

Since the number of cases in COVID-19 virus are continuously rising, countries around the world
implemented safety measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, from national quarantine to school
closures. In the Philippines, March 12, 2020, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte announced a community
quarantine implementation in Metro Manila due to the outbreak of the spreading disease. Days later,
the community quarantine implemented for island wide lockdown of Luzon where focus on curfews and
restriction of movement. The administration of the government gave the mass a safety protocols such as
sanitizing hands, social distancing, and wearing a facemask to avoid the high risk of being infected.

Socio-economic is one of the aspect effects by the said disease. The Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) assumed that the around 10 million workers may lose their jobs last year because
of the pandemic by retrenching since the economic status fall. But as of May 28, 2020, President Duterte
lifted up some strictest measures. Most businesses were allowed to reopen and some public
transportation back to normal not because it is safe to go outside but to save the economic status of the
Philippines. However, bars, club, dine-in restaurants and schools will remain closed since minors and
elderly are still asked to stay at home since they are prone to the virus.

The Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) reopened
classes amidst the pandemic nut they still consider the health of the learners if they implement the
traditional learning system. They promoted the remote learning system such as online and modular
classes as a mode of learning. Private Universities and academies started classes since 24 th of August,
and now they finished the school year early than the expected. The state universities and public schools
in primary and secondary levels started classes on the 5 th day of October and expecting to finish the
school year on July. However, distance learning is not that easy for the 28 million Filipino students.
There are some hindrances for the new learning system to the students such as the connectivity
especially to those uncivilized areas and to the distribution of modules.

Coronavirus proved to us that everything exists is temporary. Everything has time for a change.
In socio-economic aspect, maybe we swam more in poverty today because of this health crisis but in
perfect timing, we will rise again.

As of this month, 2.13 million of Filipinos had given a first dose of vaccine and 343 thousand are
fully vaccinated in the country. The government advised that the vaccination process is not compulsory
but voluntarily. The authorized vaccines in the Philippines are tested which were safe for the senior
citizen and other persons belongs to priority list. As for the recent data, there are a million of cases as of
now but luckily, the number of the recovered cases are high. This is just the beginning of the end of our
freedom in COVID. So to my fellow students and citizens of the Philippines, let’s follow the rules and stay
at home. Watch a proper distance in public, always wear a mask and face shields, and always sanitize or
wash our hands. In this pandemic crisis, we will heal as one.