The Unsung vs The Unseen: Modern Heroes' Sacrifices in Injustice

Overworked. Overwhelmed. Underpaid.

As they continuously save patients from losing their own fights due to COVID-19, our heroes' songs remain unsung as they succumb to the unseen foe one by one. And the worst of it all is with COVID-19, the insufficient concerns done by the government that kills them more.

We, the citizens, have been filled everyday with uncertainty of when will this agonizing pain end, but just like us, our health workers junked the reality that a bright future waits for them. There, an organization has been finding ways to tell the government the unsung heroes and their capabilities to succumb to the deadly virus.

The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) has been raising their voices as health workers remain tired, pressured, and voiceless for their struggles being overlooked by the higher lords. "Almost 10 thousand plus na ang mga infected workers, at nakita din natin na, meron ding 60 na namatay, nakita natin na hindi talaga prayoridad ng gobyerno natin ang kalagayan at kalusugan ng ating mga health workers," AHW President Robert Mendoza stated in an online interview.

OVERWORKED

Our frontliners have been in the picture for a very long time ever since the health department recorded its first coronavirus case in late January. Since the closing of our borders, implementing community quarantines in critical areas, and the swift transmission of the virus, frontliners have been working like a dog day and night. 

Ever since the critical months of quarantine, frontliners have been quickly helping the illed as COVID cases began to skyrocket at the time. Many have had improper sleep schedules, while some have no sleep at all. The rush of helping others have resulted in a wreck on their health.

OVERWHELMED

The Philippines has been experiencing economic slumps which worsened after COVID-19 entered the picture. As a bid to revive the economy going downhill, the government has begun easing quarantine protocols to some areas, the age limit for going outside widened, and the travel for the Filipinos to other nations opened. 

"Alam naman po natin na iniisip ng gobyerno, hindi talaga yung health ng mga kababayan natin, no? Dahil sinasabi nila na para magwalk natin yung ekonomiya, niluluwagam talaga nila yung mga extensions na yan. Sinasabi pa rin natin na mayroon dapat na maayos na pagpapatupad dun sa kanilang mga protocols," Mendoza stated. He then took the opportunity to voice out the unjust prioritizations of the government to the health workers, implying that the military gets the ups while the health workers undeservingly claims the downs. 

Mendoza pleaded that health workers should be appointed for health checks like experts on houses instead of militaries due to the scare the military may bring while enforcing checks. He then added that a vaccine should not be the only way to impede the reign of the unseen foe as many countries strived sans vaccines.

UNDERPAID

Despite the arduous contributions, our modern heroes are still treated unfairly. Mendoza has stressed how nurses and health workers put extreme efforts just to get a minimal amount of pay. Mendoza openly expressed that many of the frontliners should be given a minimum wage of ₱16K. Despite this, many frontliners decided to face the virus in different countries, while some resorted to call centers, as it gives more than what the government can allot to them. 

Not only that, our modern heroes from rural and private areas receive unsettling wages such as ₱500 per day in exchange for their lives being at stake. These efforts drove AHW to urge the higher officials to double the pay for our frontliners.

Our eight months of war with the coronavirus has been very tough for everyone, let alone our modern heroes today. We have to be very thankful that despite the unjust treatment for our health workers, they still have the urge to save the illed. Being overworked, overwhelmed, and underpaid has been very difficult for them, but we can assure that we will get through with this, and assuring that our unsung heroes get the right respect and benefits it deserves while fighting the unseen foe.