Faith in Humanity Restored

One hundred ninety days. That’s how long the Philippines has been in quarantine after President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Luzon area under extreme community quarantine last March 16, 2020. Being in quarantine this long, the country has earned the title of “longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown in the world.” Not a single person knows when this quarantine will end, given that we are in a constant cycle of being put under ECQ, MECQ, GCQ, MGCQ and whatever other -CQ the government plans to declare.

Two hundred seventy-nine thousand and five hundred twenty-six cases. That is the total number of confirmed cases in the country according to data posted by the Department of Health (DOH) dated September 18, 2020. Without mass testing and proper contract tracing being implemented, no one knows how many cases there really are. Without access to affordable healthcare, citizens will continue to go about their lives in order to earn money to provide basic needs for themselves and their families. If they are lucky, they just might be able to afford a single COVID-19 RT-PCR test ranging from PHP 4000 to PHP 13 000 depending on the institution in Metro Manila.

Four million and fifty-seven thousand people. That is the approximate number of Filipinos who are unemployed as of September 2020. This is a 4.6% increase in the unemployment rate of the country as compared to September of last year, and this number is expected to increase as more and more businesses are expected to close either due to income loss or lack of manpower from people affected by the lockdowns in this pandemic.

The economy is down. People are hungry. Everyone is suffering, both literally and figuratively. Given that the government’s plan is to seemingly wait for a vaccine, we have to ask the question: at this time of crisis, who should we turn to for help? In this time of crisis, we need neither indifference, nor apathy, and certainly not greed. What we need are proactive action, and most importantly, empathy.

Luckily, various groups have started their own donation drives in order to extend assistance to sectors heavily affected by the pandemic. While most of these initiatives are spearheaded and funded by groups of professionals, businesses, and non-profit organizations, there are a few which are student-led. Case in point would be these three donation drives that are actively participated in and launched by both current and former BS Biochemistry students.

(Medyo) Cute Stickers

Launched last July 6, 2020, (Medyo) Cute Stickers is a sticker shop owned by Alexia Advento, Alexandra Ang, and Maxine Faminiano. The owners serve as the artists themselves, creating very cute stickers, and donating most of their profits to jeepney drivers, Lumad bakwit students, students in need of financial assistance for online classes, and other individuals who lost their livelihood due to this pandemic.

The trio are considered artsy students in their degree program and they all share an interest in food business. These are the factors that encouraged them to put up the business which primarily aims to serve the people “one sticker at a time.” Their best-selling products include the Studio Ghibli-inspired sticker pack, Witch Collection and It’s Okay to Not Be Okay sticker pack printed and sold in glossy, matte, and vinyl sticker paper.

When asked about how they feel about being able to spearhead this donation drive, the owners said “We feel thankful to be in this position and have this opportunity to help out others through our art during this time. It’s amazing how this initiative has allowed us to express our creativity while also making it a means to raise funds to help others. The whole team is also just full of wholesome positive vibes, so it’s really just fun to be able to do this as well!”

It is indeed amazing to know that art is the medium we turn to during this crisis for entertainment, for self-expression, for stress relief, and even for helping others out. If you want to know more about (Medyo) Cute Stickers and support their cause, you may visit their Facebook page, Instagram account (@medyoqtstickers), and Twitter account (@medyoqtstickers).

Tsuper Man

“It didn’t feel right for me to just be sitting idly in the comforts of my own home, aware of the plights of the different sectors gravely struck by the pandemic. I knew I could extend help even through simple ways.” These were the thoughts running through the mind of this initiative’s Project Head, Diego Llamzon before the foundation of Tsuper Man: A Donation Drive for Calamba Jeepney Drivers. Together with two of his friends, Thirdy Romo and Chubi Galang, they officially launched the donation drive last June 14, 2020.

The target beneficiaries of this drive are primarily the jeepney drivers of Calamba City, Laguna who lost their main source of income due to the lockdowns imposed as a safety measure in combating this pandemic. Through Tsuper Man, the founders hope to provide the aforementioned drivers with necessary goods that they need in order to help them make ends meet and sustain their families. More than that, Diego and the rest of the Tsuper Man team hope to empower the jeepney drivers in their fight for the basic right to livelihood.

Asked about how he feels about being the Project Head of Tsuper Man, Diego said, “While I feel good about being a conduit in helping our jeepney drivers, hearing their stories firsthand during our distributions reminds me that their fight is far from over. Their livelihood is still put on the line during the pandemic, and, more than donations, we need sustainable solutions that will accord our jeepney drivers their basic rights.”

As Diego said, the fight of the jeepney drivers is far from over. As long as the pandemic hasn’t been addressed properly and solved, the jeepney drivers, and all others who lost their source of income due to the lockdowns, will continue to rely on our help in order to provide for their family’s needs. Hence, if you wish to donate to Tsuper Man’s cause, you may visit their Facebook page or their instagram account (@tsupermandonations). This way, we make use of our privilege not only to ensure that we live comfortably, but also to ensure that others are provided with at least their most basic necessities.

RIZALISKO’s Para! Kay Kuya

RIZALISKO is a group composed of Rizal High School Alumni who are currently students of the University of the Philippines. Para! Kay Kuya is the name of the group’s donation drive which primarily aims to help both UP Ikot and UP Toki jeepney drivers by providing them with food packs which contain a whole raw chicken, grocery items, and sanitary items.

Asked about the reason behind this initiative, Isabela Fami, a junior of BS Biochemistry, said that the group hopes to widen their reach where not only scholars benefit, but also the community as a whole through the efforts of volunteerism and fundraising activities.

Asked about how she feels about being able to take part in the event, Isabela said, “Every update, every cent donated makes our [members of RIZALISKO] hearts feel full from seeing the number of people also taking part to make this cause successful.” More than that, being able to help the drivers and seeing them look grateful is what she considers most fulfilling. “We don’t expect anything in return, just seeing them grateful makes us feel accomplished and happy to help.”

To know more about Para! Kay Kuya and to support this initiative, you may contact RIZALISKO through their email (rizalisko@gmail.com), Facebook page, or instagram and twitter accounts (@rizalisko).

It is heartwarming to know that there are people who, despite being also affected by the pandemic, are selfless enough to recognize that there are those in greater need. It is encouraging to realize that there are individuals who would willingly donate what could have been used for their own self-gratification. Most importantly, it is gladdening that the spirits of volunteerism and bayanihan are alive in the hearts of Filipinos.

With these, some may wonder if faith in humanity has been restored. Maybe. However, we cannot keep relying on the generous hearts of donors; that will lead to donor burnout. It is high time for everyone to actively call out the government’s passivity, and hold them accountable for neglect of their duty to their citizens. It is high time we see concrete plans being put to action to help alleviate the situation. And it is high time we cease dilly dallying, and come as one to combat the invisible foe we are facing, COVID-19. Until that time comes, we cannot truly and definitely say that faith in humanity has been effectively restored.