Pandemic Tales: Untold Stories of Women During the Lockdown was an online forum held last May 20, hosted by the Center for Women’s Resources; the General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action (GABRIELA); and the Voices of Women for Justice and Peace.
The webinar aimed to tell the stories of Filipino women from all walks of life amid the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring five guest speakers: Dr. Reginald Pamugas, psychiatrist and Vice Chair of Health Action for Human Rights; Associate Professor Mary Lou Alcid of the University of the Philippines College of Social Work and Community Development; Pia Montalban of Kaisahan ng Artista at Manunulat na ayaw sa Development Aggression; Zonia Narito of Home Net Producers Cooperative; and Yllang Montenegro, a migrant worker and visual artist. Exploring topics such as mental health, violence against women, and human rights advocacies, the discussion offered an incisive look into the intersection of class, gender, and the ongoing health crisis.
Mind over matter
Pamugas opened the forum by emphasizing the importance of mental health during these times, as the pressure of the situation could heighten anxiety in people, especially for women, children, and indigenous people. Poverty, according to him, is also a contributing factor as unemployment and debts could jeopardize a person’s mental well-being. “‘Pag hindi natin nakikita ‘to (efficient government solutions), [anxious] ang mga tao. Parang, ‘anong gagawin natin?’” Pamugas expressed, defining Health as a public matter and a “state responsibility”.
(When we don’t see efficient government solutions, people become anxious. What do we do now?)
The people constituting the healthcare system need protecting, too, Alcid explained, citing that the system fails medical social workers when their welfare is not prioritized and adequate resources are not provided. Described as a “feminized profession” by Alcid, these workers have to contend with inadequate resources and emotional labor, and now, as the pandemic ravages an ill-prepared healthcare system, they also have to take on unprecedented risks. Some social workers assigned to distribute aid under the government’s Social Amelioration Program face harassment and death threats as relief funds prove to be insufficient for the people. “Isinasantabi muna nila ang kanilang personal na kapakanan upang maglingkod,” said Alcid, recounting tales of other frontliners who have to deal with the fear of infecting their families and the stigma against them.
(They set aside their personal safety so they can serve the people.)
Holding up half the sky
Narito afterward shared the story of a home-based worker who recently borrowed money from a microlending institution to finance her small rice cake business, in hopes that a few stints in tiangges would lead her to success. But when the lockdown came, she was left with nothing but debt and mouths to feed. She is now entirely dependent on government aid, which isn’t enough for her family’s needs.
Additionally, the pandemic also disproportionately affects women as their duties as a mother, homemaker, and wife have doubled during the quarantine. “Sila ang nag-iisip kung saan kukunin ang sunod nilang kakainin at ‘yung gatas ng kanilang mga anak, at kung may nagkakasakit, sila rin ang nag-aalaga,” Narito said.
(They’re the ones who have to worry about where they’re going to get their next meal and the milk for their babies, and if one of their family members gets sick, they’re also the ones who will have to take care of them.)
Similarly, Montenegro found herself in a “frustrating” situation as she and her husband are currently stranded in Japan. They were about to return to the Philippines when the lockdown was implemented, leaving them with no choice but to stay and ride out the pandemic with no jobs and nowhere to go. Montenegro recounted going to several Philippine government agencies for help, but received none. If not for some Japanese organizations who were “kind enough to provide shelter and food”, the couple would have been lost.
The old normal
As the pandemic changed the world as we knew it, for some, it is merely the latest battle in a weary war. Montalban relayed the years-long plight of the Aetas against development aggression and militarization by the government and mining companies interested in their ancestral lands. “Hindi na lang usapin ng kabuhayan o paninirahan, kundi usapin na ng pagkawala mismo ng kanilang kultura at buong lahi,” explained Montalban.
(It’s not just their livelihood or land at stake, but the disappearance of their culture and entire tribe.)
Now, the Aetas are worried that the lockdown will prevent their lawyers from reaching the Zambales mountain range, leaving them largely defenseless against the push for development of their land. The tribe also set up their own community checkpoint in response to the military’s undamped presence in their community that could increase the risk of infection.
The issue of domestic abuse also takes on a new dimension during the pandemic, as women become “more trapped than ever”. Justine Sicor, an audience member, shared that she had seen several posts by other women in a Facebook group about verbal, physical, and sexual abuse perpetrated by their husbands or live-in partners. One post even detailed how a woman went to her local barangay’s Violence Against Women and Children desk to report the abuse only to be told, “Huwag mo [na lang] sabayan ang galit ng asawa mo.”
(Just try not to provoke your husband’s anger.)
A new hope
If there’s one thing made implicitly clear by the online forum, it is that the pandemic didn’t bring a host of new problems to the country, but merely exposed the underlying flaws of our current systems. Alcid described the existing policies as “naka-angkla sa middle [to upper] class at kailangang iangkop sa kalagayan ng ordinaryong mamamayan.”
(Current policies cater to the middle to upper class, and they need to be adjusted to cater to the masses).
For the speakers, an organized and comprehensive response is the best solution to the pandemic, emphasizing the need for policies that strengthen legally-mandated structures. Narito noted that mass mobilizations and private donation efforts have been a huge help to the vulnerable these days, but calling out systemic problems and paying attention to gender-based violence and human rights violations lead to systemic solutions.
“Kung walang kalampag, matutulog ang pamahalaan, national man o local government,” Montalban stressed.
(If there is no clamor, the government will remain inept, both at the local and national level.)
