PEOPLE obsessed with “selfies” have somehow established a pattern of behavior where they tend to think only of themselves oblivious of the needs of the people around them. The quarantine has given time for people to reevaluate their real purpose in life. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there emerged goodness in people all over the world. Individuals expanded their horizon by extending help outside the four walls of their homes. Unselfishness ushered people to do the most relevant thing under the global health crisis.
That kind-hearted man abroad who volunteered to do the marketing for senior citizens delivered the grocery items right at the front door to the delight of the gray-haired women.
In the Philippine setting, one man was driven to do something positive for the school children who were problematic under the new norm of getting an education. Several of our students do not have the necessary gadgets to be online. He made a call through social media to get people into action. People with broken laptops responded. The man repaired the computers. Volunteers distributed the laptops to the students.
A hearing impaired man on the street was trying to get educated through used workbooks that he must have found in the trash. Somebody spotted him working through these workbooks on the side of the road and shared the man’s laudable effort to be a learned individual despite his handicap. Kindhearted individuals sent educational materials prompting the man to write the word “happy” in thanking his patrons. The man was apparently on a “missing persons” list and got reunited with his family.
Highlighting the “good vibes” on nightly news, the program showcased a little boy’s compassion. Instead of having a big birthday party, he decided to give gift packs to the jeepney drivers begging in the streets.
A couple of chefs who were forced to stay home due to restaurants’ and hotels’ closure decided to cook meals for the frontliners. At the height of the pandemic, health workers were unable to go home. Thus the humanitarian act of the chefs was most appreciated.
While all of this goodness was happening, some of our congressmen were busy in a power struggle. How I wished they had the myopic vision to see the country’s problems under their noses instead of their far-sighted vision focused on the 2022 elections.
A recent survey from SWS reported that 7.6 million Filipinos are malnourished. Two out of five Filipinos are jobless. Internet connectivity poses a problem to online learning.