Against Invisible Foes
August 31, 2021
Emme Alas
When you think of the word hero, what comes to your mind is usually a strong man suited in skin-tight spandex with powers of flight or super-strength.
But the pandemic has brought on a new wave of heroes. Heroes dressed in PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) with stethoscopes and syringes as their weapons. Our frontliners have tirelessly worked to protect us and service the public while being exposed to this evolving virus every day.
Armi Amor Millan-Gonzales is a 37-year-old mother of two in the province of Surigao Del Sur. She works as a vaccinator in Lanuza, traveling with her team atop mountains to reach different barangays. She, with many others, risks her life to protect others, coming in close contact with handfuls of civilians 24/7.
Armi is a graduate of Nursing at Southwestern University in Cebu. At the time, her heart wasn’t fully in Nursing as it is now, so she worked immediately as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Singapore for 12 years as a documentation controller and obtained a certificate in Business Management. There, she met her husband Roel and started a family but had to send her kids back to the province so that she could continue working. Before the pandemic, she and her kids had been apart for about 3 years.
Just recently, she had realized that her heart might truly be in Nursing and planned to go and study Nursing again. Then the pandemic hit and her plans unravelled. Luckily, she received an opportunity to enter the field again as a vaccinator in her hometown and come back to the Philippines.
For Armi, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise as she got to be with her family and become a nurse and hero.
But heroes have fears too. For Armi, she fears that she might bring home the virus to her two toddlers, elderly parents, and husband. When commuting to work, she is cautious of those she comes into close contact with while traveling. Especially when her household has many people at high risk for Covid-19. Even when her fellow vaccinators on the team fall ill or die from the virus, she still goes on to work everyday.
“Yes hahaha! Sobrang nakakatakot. I mean for me before leaving home, hindi mo alam kung sino ang katabi mo or nakasalamuha mo. Then pagdating sa office alam naming na lahat kami exposed. Kaya talagang doble ingat o triple ingat nalang ang gagawin mo kasi syempre uuwi ka sa pamilya mo at the end of the day… Nakakapraning na nakakapagod kasi minsan yung ibang tao, ikaw pa yung nasisisi. Syempre cautious ka din pag nakaharap sa ibang patients. So scary nga talaga siya sa ngayon na panahon pero sabi nga nila na serbisyo publiko.”
(Yes hahaha! It is very terrifying. Before leaving home, you never know who you are sitting next to or come into contact with. Then when you arrive at the office we all know that everyone is exposed. So you definitely have to be extremely careful because you have to go home to your family at the end of the day. It’s very alarming and tiring because sometimes people will even blame you. Of course, you also have to be cautious when facing patients. So it really is frightening right now but we have to continue to serve the public.)
She also had some hesitance entering the medical field once again, 12 years of not practicing lingers at the back of her mind as she trained to administer the vaccine alongside her supportive team. Despite all that, she worked hard to do her job. With vigorous practice and recall, Armi was able to overcome her previous fears and work with her fellow vaccinators. Shaky hands vanish as she greets every patient. Even in the face of an emergency, she braves it out fearlessly, donning her PPE and administering care.
She perseveres for her family, working all day to administer vaccines and then coming home to take care of her children, leaving no time to rest for Armi. It’s especially disheartening when some go to blame frontliners for bringing the virus to the community.
For health workers like her, there is no right choice. If she doesn’t fulfill her duty as a vaccinator, she isn’t helping the community, but when she does, she is accused of carrying the virus. Everyday is a constant battle of fear and safety.
Yet she still does it so that she can help keep the public and her toddlers safe and in hopes that one day, they will be able to go outside without masks and play.
As a part of a mobile vaccination team, she treks through the mountains to reach those who cannot come down to the center such as senior citizens or those without fares to travel. But even then, they are still not able to vaccinate everyone. That is why they also do their best to encourage civilians to get vaccinated whether it be through radio guesting, barangay seminars, or online where they post vaccine updates.
But despite all the efforts of her and her team, the benefits given to healthcare heroes like Armi in the frontline are lacking and unfair. They aren’t prioritized and given their needs even when they are overworked and constantly exposed to the virus. Despite being devastated by the current situation, she still does her duty to the public and goes to work everyday. She hopes that the current situation with the Department of Health is rectified quickly and that health workers receive the proper compensation and support.
“We are serving the community and we know that we are at high risk, but the benefits seem to be lacking and unfair. We are not given priority for our needs. If I had a chance to address the government, I would say that since it's mandated by the law, then they should follow the law to give what is rightfully ours.”
To her fellow frontliners, she leaves a message to keep strong, stay healthy, and pray despite all the turmoil going on.
“Just keep strong, kapit bisig. We can pass through this. Di naman siguro to forever so ang akin lang, syempre we have to stay healthy talaga and pray.”
(Just keep strong, kapit bisig. We can pass through this. This won’t last forever so let’s keep healthy and pray.)
Against Invisible Foes
August 31, 2021
Emme Alas
Tuwing naririnig natin ang salitang hero o bida, ang kadalasang pumapasok sa kaisipan ay larawan ng isang magiting na lalaking nakasuot ng mahigpit na spandex at nagtataglay ng kakaibang kakayahan.
Sa biglang pagsulpot ng pandemyang ito ay bumangon ang bagong henerasyon ng bayani. Ang mga makabagong bayaning ay nakasuot ng PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) at nakabitbit ng stethoscope at hiringgilya. Ang ating mga frontliners ay walang kupas na nagtatrabaho araw-araw bilang serbisyo sa bayan.
Sa Surigao Del Sur, bandang Mindanao ng Pilipinas, ay may isang treinta y siete años na ina na may dalawang anak. Siya ay kilala sa pangalang Armi Amor Millan-Gonzales at nagtatrabaho bilang taga-bakuna sa Lanuza. Bumabyahe siya sa mga matarik na bulubundukin upang bisitahin ang iba’t ibang barangay. Kasama niya sa paglalakbay ay ang mga iba pang tao katulad niya na tumutulong sa mga mamamayan.
Si Armi ay nagtapos ng Nursing sa Southwestern University na matatagpuan sa Cebu. Dahil wala ang kanyang puso at hilig sa pagiging nars sa nakaraan, naisipan niyang magtrabaho na lamang sa ibang bansa bilang Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). Mahigit isang dekada siyang nagtrabaho sa Singapore bilang documentation controller o tagapangasiwa ng mga dokumento at nakatanggap ng certificate sa Business Management. Doon din niya nakilala si Roel na ngayon ay kanya nang asawa. Nagsimula ng pamilya ang magkasintahan sa isang dayuhang bansa subalit ipadala ni Armi ang kanyang mga anak sa probinsya upang makapag patuloy siya sa kanyang hanapbuhay. Bago pa man sumapit ang pandemya ay tatlong taon nang hindi nagkikita ang mag-ina.
Kamakailan lamang ay bumalik ang pagmamahal at hilig ni Armi sa pagiging nars kaya nagbalak siyang mag-aral muli. Hindi nagkamali sa pagdedesisyon ang treinta y siete años na ina sapagkat sa oras na iyon ay may lumitaw na balita tungkol sa isang mapanganib na birus, ang COVID-19. Sa kabutihang-palad ay nagkaroon si Armi ng pagkakataong magtrabaho bilang taga-bakuna sa kanyang kinalakihang bayan. Bagaman hindi naging kaayaaya ang resulta ng pandemya para sa daigdig, ito ay nagbigay daan upang makabalik siya sa Pilipinas.
Isang biyaya ang pagkakataong makasama muli ang kanyang pamilya at makasilbi bilang bagong bayani sa lipunan.
Gayunpaman ay hindi maikukubli ang katotohanan na pati ang mga bayani ang natatakot. Para kay Armi, kinakabahan siyang mahawa ang kanyang mga paslit, nakatatandang magulang, at asawa. Habang siya ay bumabyahe, ingat na ingat siya sa mga sinumang nakakahalubilo. Bagaman nagbabantang kunin ng virus ang buhay ng sinuman, magiting pa ring nagtatrabaho si Armi araw-araw.
“Yes hahaha! Sobrang nakakatakot. I mean for me before leaving home, hindi mo alam kung sino ang katabi mo or nakasalamuha mo. Then pagdating sa office alam naming na lahat kami exposed. Kaya talagang doble ingat o triple ingat nalang ang gagawin mo kasi syempre uuwi ka sa pamilya mo at the end of the day… Nakakapraning na nakakapagod kasi minsan yung ibang tao, ikaw pa yung nasisisi. Syempre cautious ka din pag nakaharap sa ibang patients. So scary nga talaga siya sa ngayon na panahon pero sabi nga nila na serbisyo publiko.”
Bukod pa roon, sa likod ng kanyang kaisipan ay nag-aalangan siyang bumalik sa larangan ng medisina pagkatapos ng labindalawang taon ng pagtigil nito. Gayunpaman ay nagsunog siya ng kilay, kasama ng kanyang pangkat, upang maayos niyang mabakunahan ang mga mamamayan. Nang lumipas ang panahon ay napawi rin ang mga kinakatakutan ni Armi. Sa harap ng kagipitan ay matapang niyang hinaharap ang hindi nakikitang kaaway suot suot ang PPE at handang tumulong sa mga may sakit.
Sa pagsikat ng araw hanggang sa paglubog nito ay walang tigil na nagtatrabaho si Armi upang bakunahan ang mga mamamayan. Pag-uwi naman niya ay inaasikaso niya ang kanyang mga supling kaya wala nang natitirang oras si Armi para sa sarili. Nakasasama sa damdamin tuwing ang mga frontliners pa ang napagbibintangang tagapagdala ng nakamamatay na virus sa lipunan.
Para sa mga manggagawa sa pangkalusugang sektor, walang tamang desisyon. Kapag hindi nila natutupad ang kanilang tungkulin bilang tagabakuna, nasisisi silang hindi tumutulong sa bayan. Gayon din ay itinuturing sila ng mga tao bilang tagabuhat ng virus.
Bagaman mabigat sa damdamin ang suliranin ng mga frontliners, masigasig pa ring nagpapatuloy si Armi sa kanyang trabaho upang protektahan ang publiko at lalo na ang kanyang minamahal na mga anak. Ang hangarin niya ay makalabas at makapaglaro na muli ang kanyang mga anak nang hindi na kailangan magsuot ng mask balang araw.
Bilang miyembro ng mobile vaccination team, inaakyat niya ang mga bundok upang maabot ang mga mamamayang hindi kayang pumunta sa bayan kagaya ng mga nakatatanda o d kaya yung mga taong walang pambayad sa pag commute. Gayunpaman, hindi pa rin nabakunahan ang bawat mamamayan. Ito ang naging pangunahing dahilan kung bakit hinihikayat nila ang lahat para magpaturok gamit ang radyo, pagpupulong ng barangay, o di kaya sa pagpost ng mga updates tungkol sa pagbabakuna.
Datapuwa buong pusong naglilingkod si Armi at ang kanyang mga kasapi, kulang ang mga benepisyong ipinagkakaloob sa kanila sapagkat hindi ito tumutumbas sa pagsisikap ng mga mediko. Hangarin ni Armi na maayos at mapabuti ng Department of Health ang sistema upang makatanggap ng tapat na sahod at suporta ang mga manggagamot.
“We are serving the community and we know that we are at high risk, but the benefits seem to be lacking and unfair. We are not given priority for our needs. If I had a chance to address the government, I would say that since it's mandated by the law, then they should follow the law to give what is rightfully ours.”
(Kami ay naglilingkod sa bayan at alam naming delekado ang aming ginagawa subalit parang kulang at hindi patas ang natatanggap naming benepisyo. Hindi binibigyan prioridad ang aming mga pangangailangan. Sinasabi ko ito sapagkat nakalahaad ito sa batas. Kailangan nilang tuparin ang batas at ibigay ang naaayon sa amin.)
Para sa mga kapwa frontliners, ang mensaheng nais iwan ni Armi sa inyo ay magpakatatag kayo, manatiling kayong malusog at patuloy kayong na manalangin sa harap ng paghahamon.
“Just keep strong, kapit bisig. We can pass through this. Di naman siguro to forever so ang akin lang, syempre we have to stay healthy talaga and pray.”
(“Magpakatatag, kapit bisig. Malalampasan din natin ito. Hindi naman siguro ito panghabang buhay kaya ang aking lang, syempre kailan talaga natin manatiling malusog at manalangin.)