Death, hopelessness, poverty, shortage, panic, worries — these are but of the few feelings that can be described as COVID 19 powerfully attack not only our country but even the mighty nations. As the mortality raises and infection spreads, anxiety reigned in the heart of every Filipinos. We didn’t anticipate this event; it was actually beyond our imagination. We were all caught up by this pandemic.
Even the education sector was not exempted to the pandemic’s devastating impact. Due to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), schools were forced to close for the benefit of the students. They didn’t have time to bid farewell to their classmates who were with them for the whole school year. Their last chance to showcase their skills had disappeared. The most awaited recognition and graduation they’ve been dreaming before vanished in an instant.
But in the midst of this depressing occurrence, a star shines. As what people say, you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light. The COVID 19 experience illuminates the beauty we long have taken for granted. Those values that have long been hidden were unveiled by this tragedy.
1. Companionship of parents to their children in their school work is one of the reasons why so many millennial and era before it, have the high rate of success and low level of crime. Because of the parents’ guidance and their academic supervision, the children were molded properly. But as the years passed by, the need( what is this need) hindered that core and caused it to fade away little by little. But due to ECQ, parents became hands on to their children when it comes to learning. When virtual teaching was launched, you could see how parents and students interact with each other and how they learn from each other’s experience and knowledge. These are memories that can only be made during this time.
2. Camaraderie of the parents and teacher is one of the key factors of the students’ success. But due to hectic and incompatible schedules of the two major players of student’s success, disagreement and miscommunication sometimes take place that hinder the student’s achievements. This circumstance became an open door for the parents and teachers in joining hands to make the learning of the children possible. While teacher gives the lesson and other learning materials, parents are there to explain and to learn the lesson with their children.
3. Creativity of the institution was maximized. Different ways were offered to address the need to teach in spite of ECQ. DepEd Common was born and virtual teaching was intensified. I have seen how gullible teachers became techies. Technology had long been introduced in the educational sector, but this time, it opened the door of opportunity to develop the inner ability of the teachers to adapt in the Generation Z. As a result, students were able to learn even in their respective homes.
4. Core values boosted in this condition. The DepEd's Core Values Maka-Dios, Maka-tao, Maka-kalikasan at Maka-bansa have been exercised by majority of Filipinos. This hopeless situation made us closer to God through prayer time. It also awakened our humanitarian spirit. Children learned how to appreciate the frontliners and to help those people in need. This year was also the best Earth Day Celebration because people realized more how important it is to take good care of God’s creation. Lastly, our nationalism was tested on how we follow the command of our government officials.
COVID 19 really made a history not only in our country but to the rest of the world. But in spite of its negative effect, we cannot deny that there lies a beauty as this adversity takes place and that beauty can only sparkle in this kind of disaster. There is a positive in COVID!