published in Korea.net
There are around 2,000 Filipinos registered with the Korean Immigration living in Daegu. This number does not include marriage migrants who have settled there and have acquired Korean citizenship. When news that Daegu was becoming the epicenter of the corona outbreak here in Korea came out, I started reaching out to my fellow Filipinos residing there. They know better than most of us how the everyday life looks like in the city that’s becoming associated with COVID-19 here in South Korea.
Alice Lipata, Kristine Joy Simpao and Joel Cambaliza are kind enough to share their stories.
Khristine Joy Simpao is a university professor at Keimyung University in Daegu City. She lives there with her husband and son. When news of the outbreak came out and Daegu City was clearly getting notoriously high numbers of infected people, her concern was mainly for her 10-year old son. “I was afraid for my son, because children’s health and coping mechanism in this kind of endemic situation is deficient and susceptible. With this snowballing number of infected people, the initial reaction is to go back to the Philippines. Learning how the virus made Wuhan the scariest and deadliest place on earth by the time NCOV exploded, it was predominantly daunting to imagine that Korea might not be far to be on that situation.”
Joel Cambaliza had been living here in Korea for two decades. He works in a factory. He is concerned for other Filipino workers who had lost their jobs because of the outbreak. They were told to temporarily stop working but no one knows when, and if, they will be called back to work. Joel is one of the few who still has his work but demands for manufacturing has also gone down, so it means fewer hours of work as well.
Alice Lipata is a marriage migrant and a community leader in Daegu. When she was interviewed by a Philippine television network, she asked for masks from the embassy for Filipinos living in Daegu due to shortage of masks. The Philippine Embassy promptly acted on the request by calling all Filipinos, through Filipino organizations, living in Korea to join the efforts in gathering masks for Filipinos living in Daegu. The Filipino communities responded so the Philippine Embassy in Korea was able to send masks last March 3 and 4 to Filipinos in Daegu. The Embassy welcomes more donations of masks and hand sanitizers from those who are interested to extend help.
Alice is full of gratitude for the Korean government’s efficiency. She is a widow with two teenage sons and listed under the Dasa Dalseong Gun Municipality and because of this government support came in the form of free masks given to their family at the onset of the outbreak. While her sons are on vacation, they receive food allowance until they finish high school. This is a huge government assistance especially these days when she cannot go to her part-time work as an English teacher. Alice is also known for her talent in baking. But the current circumstance results to scarcity in orders.
Asked if he will take the opportunity to go home to the Philippines if the Philippine government offers to repatriate Filipino workers due to the corona outbreak, Joel gave a definitive “No”. He believes the government is doing its best to combat the current situation. Khristine added, “with a quick response, rigorous treatment, and preemptive quality measures, I think there is nothing to worry about and no need to panic here in Korea. I’ll wait and cooperate with the government.”
Khristine also feels safe whenever she receives three to five messages a day with information related to the spreading of the virus and healthy reminders to be safe from it. She remains calm and commends the government, “With seamless emergency system of different medical institutions, government and private agencies, it leaves me astounded and assures our safety. No doubt that Korean government can provide speedy system for they have one of the world’s advanced medical facilities. The abundant resources of supplies and skilled manpower is sufficient to overcome this chaotic situation.”
For now, they heed the government’s advice to stay indoors and practice social distancing measures to help slow down, if not stop, the spread of the virus. Alice took the chance to go out with her sons one sunny day but most often, she stays in the house and bond with her boys waiting for this to be over. Joel does not go out as often as before to walk his dogs, but he is positively looking forward to the day he can do this again. Khristine practices all the personal hygiene measures with her family, does more online grocery shopping in lieu of going to the supermarket and if they do go out, they always wear masks.
Now that we hear it from Filipinos living right in the center of the current outbreak, we can keep on with our day to day comforted by their composure and optimism that this, too, shall pass.
I love their positivity. I also admire the Korean government for having such efficiency if responding to this outbreak. How I wish our Philippine government will have even a fraction of their efficiency. The virus is also rapidly spreading here in the Philippines. But like the Filipinos living there in Korea, we always have this positivity in our minds and in our hearts, that this too shall pass. In God’s grace!
yes, it will! let’s take care~
This is a relief to hear that Filipinos there are safe and continuing on with their daily lives. As you know, the number here in the Philippines is rising and it is quite alarming. This article showed me that there is no need to panic, taking it from this people who aren’t even scared a bit. Just be strong for this too shall pass.
I’m glad that they are safe and I love how the Korean government handles this problem about Covid19.
We should know how to follow rules and have some discipline.
The government will not able to achieve what they wanted to do if the people don’t know how to follow rules. People should learn to cooperate also.
Praying for everyone there -pinoy, korean and all other nationalities. Hope we surpass this challenge now. Its not a great 2020 at the moment. 😭 but i know things will change for the better soon
Maging kalmado at wag magpanic… at syempre pray na ang lahat ng yan ay matapos na!
It’s so nice to hear about Filipinos in Korea. I love the optimism! I just pray that all these problems about COVID-19 will be solved soon. Kudos to the government of Korea for handling this situation well. Sana all. HAHA!
This too shall pass. We are already experiencing mass panic as the number of infected people here in the philippines rise. We don’t know what will happen, but we should just have hope. God help us all!!
I’m glad to know Pinoys there are a lot more calm than here where Pinoys hoard and forgets about the people who can buy there needs on a daily basis. Please keep safe there.
I admire the Korean government’s efficiency in dealing with this pandemic. The people in daegu remains calm and positive because the government supports them and give them the feeling of safety.
It is heartwarming to learn about their responses, despite being away from their respective physical support system. Adding up to their sense of security is the prompt response of the South Korean government – a good source for benchmarking for pandemic response best practices.
[…] Filipinos in Daegu tell of life amid COVID-19 outbreak – Amidst the Corona Outbreak, Filipinos in Daegu Remain Calm and Optimistic […]
Optimism and being Calm in the midst of chaotic pandemic n nag umpisa last year ay talagang nakakabilib sa mga katulad nilang pinoy na nandyan sa korea, lalo na alam naman natin na nasa malayo at iba ibang stress ang kinakaharap ng mga Pinoy abroad dumagdag pa ang pandemic. And im happy and proud na nanatili sa kanila yung pagiging positive nila sa ganyan na sitwasyon na alam natin at naranasan din natin na unang news noon nung nag umpisa is nakakatakot talaga. With the excellent service of korean government at pagiging advance at mabilis sa safety procedures ay natulungan ang mga katulad nilang pinoy na nasa gitna ng pandemic na nag umpisa sa Daegu. At ang daming assistance & benefits ang ginagawa para sa mga foreign workers nila. Praying na tuluyan ng matapos ang pandemic na ito.
So Glad and Blessed na Kahit ang daming nangyari because of Covid Pandemic, still nanatili ang kanilang pagtitiwala, at pagiging Malakas sa lahat ng Problema, truly God still Working sa Buhay Nila, at Patuloy Nagbbigay Aral sa bawat Isa, Aral na wag Sumuko, kundi patuloy na Lumaban .. And We’re so glad too na patuloy na nagiging maayos na ang kanilang Pamumuhay sa araw araw..
hoping and praying pa dn po na tuluyan na mawala ang covid na yan, na bumalik na sa normal na lahat po, kawawa naman ung ibang sobrang naapektuhan tlaga, lalo na ung kapwa natin pinoy na nasa nagtatrabaho sa malalayong lugar po, pasalamat na lang na lang may mga tao pa dn na handang tumulong tlaga, laban lang po, lahat po ng ito lilipas at malalampasan dn natin lahat. 🙂
Nakakatuwa ang korean government tlgang hndi sila ngpabaya sa mga ganitong sitwasyon . Kailangan lang tlga sundin ang mga rules na kanilang binibigay ❤️ and im glad na safe ang lahat lalo ang mga pilipino sa covid 19 . Nalamapasan nila lahat ng pagsubok . Tlgang pananalig lang sa diyos para malampasan lahat ng mga ito ❤️ sana ang pilipinas at mging gnyan ang government ❤️
Magandang balita po ito.. Hindi parin po talaga ako tumitigil sa dasal na maging ok na ang lahat.. Na maging normal na ang lahat.. Tandaan nalang natin na nasa tabi natin si lord at hnding hndi tayo pababayaan..Kawawa naman ang mga ibang sobrang naapektuhan talaga. Dasal lang talaga at pananalig sa kanya 🙏 Malalampasan din natin lahat ng to.
I’m glad to know that they are doing fine and I also love thier positivity despite of this pandemic that we are facing right now. I also admire how the Korean government take actions especially for having such efficiency in response to this outbreak. How I wish to be part of this kind of government and experience such efficient actions. I just pray that all these problems will be solve sooner. I also pray for the safety of all the people. God bless us all ❤️