Quarantine Story Part 1 - My Story about Flood

     GOOD MORNING GUYS! How's everybody?

I know were all getting bored with this ECQ order.
I know were all afraid to get infected with Covid virus and yet most of us are still violating the rule.
I know most of us were complaining with the system and how this Bayanihan Act is being implemented.
I know its hard but let me share my story and try to compare it with the situation today.

     "When I was about 12 years old - that was more than three decades ago (hahah -napaghahalata ang edad no?), our house was submerge in flood for almost four days. It was raining ceaselessly and we were trapped inside the second floor of our house without food, water, electricity, no kitchen sink and bathroom too. The flood went up to almost 7ft high. I guess naiimagine nyo na yung sitwasyon noon na nasa taas ang kwarto tapos sa baba ang sala kusina at cr, then paggising nyo lumulutang na ang plato upuan, tabo, planggana pitsel etc. tapos unti unting tumataas ang baha na halos maabot na ang second floor. What makes the situation harder was my youngest brother was about a year old and milk was as essential as food and water itself. No help from the local government was extended to us. No one knows how to swim except my father. He had to swim for hours to borrow rice, sardines and gas from my ninang who owns a small sari sari store near our barrio. We had no drinking water so we had to fetch drinking water from the gutter/downspout connected to our roof, boiled it so we can consume it. The advantage that we had that time was there's malunggay, kamote tops and ampalaya planted and crawling upwards near our window. Am or rice water was used as a supplement for milk with malunggay extract. Kamote tops and ampalaya leaves were taken and washed directly from the rainwater, placed on top of the newly cooked sinaing along with sardines as our daily meals. Roasted rice was our substitute for coffee in the morning. We had no electricity, no internet and syempre since 80's era di pa naiimbento ang cellphones, tablets, laptop or computers and wala pa ring internet noon. Our portable radio was our source of information from the outside world and my baby brother was our only source of entertainment."

So what's the relevance of my story?

Back then, it was the flood that constraints us from going out and since we cannot swim we know that we might get drowned if an attempt to go out was made -- so we stayed inside.
Today, there's a law that requires us to stay inside our houses for our own welfare and we all know that if we get out of our houses the higher the possibility of acquiring the virus -- and yet we still go out.

Back then, we were unprepared when the flood hits us but we never blame the government for not providing foods in our table  because our parents knew that its their responsibility to provide for our needs.
Today, a social amelioration program/finance assistance for the poor were granted by the government and yet a lot of people were compaining and demanding for their rights to have it.

Back then, we have no water, no milk, no vitamins to keep us healthy but my parents found ways to sustain our health. We didn't criticize anybody for not extending any help to us.
Today, while a lot of frontliners are sacrificing their effort and lives people are rallying to criticize our government for not providing the help they need.

Back then, we have no source of communication, entertainment and information but we have news and songs from the radio, and most of all family to cheer us and keep us altogether.
Today, we have internet, flat tv screens, cellphones, tablets, laptops, netflix, tiktoks, facebook, instagram, twitter etc. as our past time tools to keep us occupied but you can see that most people are complaining with their boredom, blaming other people for their actions, spreading fake news, filling our thoughts with fear and negativity in social media. We have a lot of ways to be connected but I can still see people or families apart from each other but so much attached to their gadgets.

If we are going to analyze and compare the story that I had before with the situation that we had I think that we are so fortunate that our government is acting as a parent to keep us from acquiring this, for providing our needs and doing their best to discipline us all.

Let us be obedient, be united, be healthy and together we can all beat COVID.
Most of all let our faith and hope be our shield from this disease and Trust God completely that we will get through this crisis.

Have a great day and God Bless.

Ps. Pardon my grammar medyo alam kong palya na heheh.

My Share of Prayer Today

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

       This has been our everyday greetings with my neighbor who's been selling fried chicken on the streets. Sabi nya - "Negosyante tayo madam dapat laging good morning." O di ba, na-uplift yung morale ko kahit tindahan lang ang pinagkaka-abalahan ko, negosyante rin daw ako. So from now on, here in my blog you will always see that opening greetings to share that positive mood everytime I write a post here.

        First I want to apologize for not being around in this platform lately. After my battle with cancer and depression, little by little I felt that I lost my confidence in writing - in starting a new topic, in organizing my thoughts to create a more inspiring and meaningful post but today I'll try my best to create one.

      Anyway, my friend Malou who's friend also underwent chemo sessions (hope she's okay now) sent me an email asking for an update. It was only yesterday when I read the letter that made me decide to begin writing again. But since we have a corona pandemic crisis today, I decided to share a short conversation with my mother and a simple prayer instead of writing an update about my life. I wanted to give hope and encourage everybody to pray for God instead of spreading fear. Here it goes:

My mother asked me - "Di ka ba takot sa COVID -19?"
My answer is simple - "Why should I, cancer nga hinarap ko e."
"Kung oras ko na may magagawa ba ako kung kukunin na ako ni Lord."
Dasal na lang siguro tayo,..pero alam mo Ma naalala ko pa rin yung mga salita ni Dra.Bascara pagtapos ng operasyon ko.
          Sabi nya "We are all destined to die, all the people around you-the patients, the visitors even us doctors and nurses and even that new born child will suffer the same fate, we just don't know when, where or how but the why or your purpose here on earth will dictate the length of your stay...so know your purpose and fight your battle to fight cancer."

          It was a very powerful words that gave me strength while I was undergoing chemo treatment and I want to impart that short story and a simple prayer to everyone.
          
To fight covid let us spread love,positivity and prayers instead of fear - that’s our purpose today. Love God above else and pray for His mercy and compassion to humanity, for wisdom to touch the minds of those people working for the cure, to give strength and protection to all frontliners especially to our Doctors and Nurses, Military enforcers, and everyone risking their lives to secure us, to touch the “heart and mind” of all our elected government officials and barangay officials that they may be able to find ways to properly serve their community, to give hope to all patients that they will all be healed because they still have purpose here on earth, to protect us all from this virus, to encourage every Filipinos and the people around the world to pray and to have faith that we will all survive this crisis. Through God’s grace, wisdom, protection, provision and mercy - we will get through this crisis. Let us unite in prayers, “Pilipinas, Kaya natin to”, All these we ask through Christ our Lord.

          Again, fear and panic should not rule our lives today. Let us all be reminded of our purpose here on earth, follow the instructions of our authorities and have faith in God that we can all survive and defeat this virus.

Stay home and stay safe.
God Bless.