When President Rodrigo Duterte ordered an enhanced community quaratine on March 17, 2020 in the entirety of Luzon, we cannot deny that the daily functioning of our community had been massively affected. Better safe than sorry as we know it, was the primary thought to consider, but as everybody chooses to believe that it was a good decision for our health and safety, we should not be oblivious to the fact that soon after the Luzon-wide lockdown was enforced by the president, negative repercussions have immediately stemmed out from it, which brought light to several issues that most of us might have decided to ignore.

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The enhanced community quarantine does not exempt anyone, as it was implemented in every household, regardless of one’s social status; but the laws and protocols imposed by the government, although function as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country, is with no doubt, hostile to the poor.

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While panic-buying sprees in supermarkets became just as rampant as the foreigners who were given a 72-hour grace period to depart from the country, some, if not most of us, are incapable of panic-buying and leaving. And those who belong under the marginalized sector of our society continue to suffer the most; as their fear of dying from the threat of the virus, turn to a fear of starving to death.

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Public transportation have also been suspended-including land, air, and sea travel- and as a result, those working for our transport sector, especially public utilitity vehicle drivers have to bear the agony of waiting for help and assistance. With the closure of malls and establishments, a major percentage of our non-essential workers, experience financial difficulty, as they have no source of income due to this quarantine. Most of them are barely even daily wage earners. So, with work and movement of people being halted, they will remain famished, hanging around their homes.

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In addition, the 8pm-5am curfew, that took effect since the start of the lockdown had also been a concern for employees who work at night shifts and other independent workers, since not all type of works are capable of implementing the “work from home” option.

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Albeit employees of establishments involved in the production, processing, and distribution of necessities and media personnel with authorization from PCCO are allowed to work, it still does not justify the fact that the less privileged mostly rely on their daily income and will face the crisis more dreadfully than the privileged ones.

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That’s the sad reality. If you think that the need to implement this decision merely revolves on people’s lack of discipline, maybe you should consider looking at the other side of the coin. Not everyone has the privilege to just stay at home and have their table filled with food, even without labor.