A Single Man's Journey To Survival

Dear Survivor, 

The past one and a half year had been the most difficult time for most of us. This CoVid19 pandemic was probably the worst thing that could happen to the citizens of the world. And it's still among us. Let me go back to that time when it first happened. It's the year 2020 - New Year, New Decade. It's the year of the rat. An animal which is smart, resourceful, and quick-witted. But it's also a symbol prone to negative thinking, and a harbinger of diseases. In mid-December 2019, news broke out that a new virus in China is fast spreading. It is said to be very contagious, and people were advised to take necessary precautions like wearing face masks in public, avoiding crowds, washing hands with soap, etc.  

March 15, 2020 

It finally hit me ! Lockdown is real. ECQ was declared in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. Land, sea, and air travel to and from Metro Manila were suspended for 30 days. That meant no more going to the malls, no more movies in cinemas, no more events or parties to attend to, no more work for most of us. Everyone had plenty of time in their hands. We had to stay in our homes to be safe. Most of us were afraid for we didn't know what we were dealing with.  

My first thoughts were: What am I gonna do ? What am I gonna eat ? I had to watch the news everyday to be updated. For the first week, I had to eat only canned goods which was available at home. It's not the healthiest meal but I had no choice. But after eating canned tuna and corned beef each and every meal, I wanted to have something more palatable. Since I didn't have that community pass given to only one person per household, I had to sneaked out of the house, run to the nearest carinderia (eatery), buy food, and be back to our house within thirty minutes. It was like that for several days, until one day I didn't have any money left.  

I went to a nearby pawnshop and brought my Armani Exchange watch which was a gift for me last December 2020. I was hoping to get a good amount but I only received P1,100 payable in four months. It wasn't enough. So I had to talked to the owner of the carinderia (eatery) near us, and asked if I could get food on loan (pa-lista). Since I have done that in the past and I paid my debts diligently, she agreed. We didn't know then how long it would take me to pay them back. Weeks passed and still no sign of things getting better. Finally I thought of writing a long letter to my sister who's based in the U.S.A. My sister, who lives with her husband and son, is the breadwinner. She usually sends me money on my birthday and for Christmas, but no more than that. I had to explained to her that I had no work, and therefore no income. I also told her that I will not die due to CoVid19, but I might die because of hunger. She sent me the money ! I paid the eatery  immediately. Six weeks worth of lunch and dinner.  

Middle of June 2020

I received a call from one of my agents that I had been approved for a role on a new tv series "ANG SA IYO AY AKIN" (What's Yours Is Mine). It's a small role but hey, it's better than nothing. It's a lock-in taping for two weeks in July. We stayed in a boutique hotel in Quezon City. I played a Japanese businessman named Mr. Nakamura. I only had two scenes with Sam Milby, the lead actor. I was also asked to play other small roles like crowd doctor, church goer, and market buyer. Since the pandemic, most talents are required to play multiple roles so as to keep a limited number of people on the set. We had our serology test before and after taping.  

August and September 2020 

Other tapings were scheduled but they didn't push through. It's back to the usual routine of home-buy food-home. Most of the time, I just watched tv or movies at home. Or surfed the net. I had to monitor my expenses because I didn't know when will the next project be.   

October 2020 

Got a call confirming my taping for this month for FPJ's ANG PROBINSYANO. I'll be playing Mr. Tam - an investor for Lito Valmoria's (Richard Gutierrez's character) real-estate development company. First we had home quarantine for one week, then dorm quarantine for another week before going to Lipa City, Batangas for the actual shoot.

We only stayed there for one week because it's been raining hard everyday. We were forced to go back to Manila due to the thunderstorms. We had our swab test before and after taping.   

November 2020

When the storms had passed, I was asked to go back to FPJAP. We had PCR test and dorm quarantine for one week, before going back to Batangas. Some talents tested positive for CoVid19 so they were sent home. The production became more strict in enforcing safety protocols. I had more screen time and longer lines during our shoots, but the pay was just the same. When all our scenes were done, we were sent back to Metro Manila for our PCR exit test. I was home in Makati by Dec. 5, 2020. December was just resting and spending the holidays at home.  

Year 2021

By this new year, we are seeing news of the CoVid variants in UK, South Africa, and India. They are said to be deadlier and more contagious. This means we cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to our safety. Several countries have started vaccinating their citizens, yet we are far from achieving herd immunity. We need to be more vigilant with regards our health. We should eat the right food - more fruits and vegetables. Take our vitamins everyday. Wear our face masks. Avoid crowds. Wash our hands with soap and water. Practice proper hygiene. I'm still surviving. The battle is not yet over ! 

This story is an entry to ComCo Southeast Asia’s “Write to Ignite Blogging Project Season 2: Dear Survivor”. The initiative continues to respond to the need of our times, as every story comes a long way during this period of crisis.  The initiative aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities to inspire the nation to rise and move forward amidst the difficult situation. The “Write to Ignite Blogging Project” Season 2 is made possible by ComCo Southeast Asia, with Eastern Communications and Jobstreet as co-presenters, with AirAsia and Xiaomi as major sponsors, and with Teleperformance as sponsor.

         

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