Because most countries affected by the highly contagious and still incurable coronavirus were forced to declare lockdowns (or in our case, enhanced, modified enhanced and later, general community quarantines) in order to stop or at least minimize the spread of COVID-19 and eventually, “flatten the curve,” so to speak, many people have been confined to their homes for as far back as March.
In the Philippines as in many other countries, mobility was very much restricted as curfews were implemented on the local level and only those with quarantine passes (only one pass per each household) were allowed to go out for groceries, medicines and other necessities.
As lockdowns are now beginning to be relaxed on a global scale, many Filipinos are also slowly regaining the “freedom” that they’ve “lost” when the pandemic struck and struck hard. Many, however, remain understandably guarded in the light of the fact that vaccines remain in development and are still months away from being available.
Classes in all levels were suspended and still remains that way except for schools that have offered online education. Many employees, at least those that were not laid off, were required to work from home. Very few, mostly health workers and others considered as frontliners were allowed to do their jobs in their respective workstations. As recently featured by BusinessMirror, there are also a good number of backliners that need to do their jobs outside of their homes.
Lest we forget, our freedom is also won and subsequently defended by our national heroes. It is just fitting, therefore, that Independence Day celebrates our modern-day heroes in our frontliners and even our backliners.
As a matter of fact, no less than the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has recognized the “sacrifices of time, energy, expertise, and even their own lives” of these frontliners in this year’s celebration.
In its official poster that carries the timely theme, “Kalayaan 2020: Tungo sa Bansang Malaya, Nagbabayanihan, at Ligtas (Kalayaan 2020: Towards a Free, United, and Safe Nation),” the NHCP has specifically depicted a doctor, a nurse, a soldier, a security guard and a food delivery personnel as among the frontliners that have dedicated themselves in leading the fight against COVID-19.
Even though this year’s celebrations are relatively simpler and devoid of the usual ceremonies, day-long events and of course, the usual crowds and parades as a result on the ongoing ban on mass gatherings, the NHCP says it is no less significant as “they who strive to keep the nation safe” deserve everyone’s gratitude.
To show this gratitude, the NHCP is encouraging every Filipino not just to display the Philippine Flag in their homes and offices but also to take selfies or photos while holding a miniature replica of the Philippine flag and a sign that says, “Thank you, frontliners!”
As featured in our Tribute to Backliners series, there are a number of unsung heroes that deserve our gratitude as well. These include the grocery store staff and market vendors who make sure we can buy basic items; the farmers and fishermen who put food in our markets and groceries; the bank employees; the Customs inspectors who must quickly clear cargo, especially vital equipment and supplies to fight the virus; pharmacists, garbage men, and the engineers and workmen who must rush to build or retrofit off-hospital quarantine centers, among others.
Although not as visible as the frontliners, these backliners cannot “stay at home” because they have to do tasks considered as indispensable in this crisis. They are making sure that the rest of us can still have some semblance of normalcy despite the far from normal circumstances. They are heroes in their own right and are very much deserving of our appreciation as well, especially on this meaningful day.
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