As this (awkward) summer nears its end, we can’t help but reflect on these past months. We really experienced the most. Honestly, who said life had to try that hard? But each week spent inside our homes, forced us to look outside at the ‘bigger picture.’ We witnessed actions leading to consequences, leading to more consequences, with eyes wide-open, and probably red-from-binge-watching another-drama. Perseverance, Flexibility, Positivity: traits like these became essential to our health. No matter how we look at it, we can’t deny how bizarre life has been. Eh ano ngayon? What now?

Now we see what life has in store for us next. As we embrace this “new norm”, let’s continue to remember we are all in this together. (LOL this is so cheesy).

Current Events in Filipinx/Filipinx-American Community

Filipino-Americans and COVID-19 in California

Both Filipinos and Filipino Americans account for one-quarter of the Asian Americans in California, yet they account for “at least 35% of COVID-19 deaths” in California’s Asian population (Wong). According to UC Davis Bulosan Center for Filpinx Studies, a number of factors contribute to a high death rate such as “undocumented status, exposure for health workers, poverty and economic insecurity, preexisting respiratory conditions and lack of health insurance” (“Bulosan Center for…”). Dr. Melinda Bender, who specializes in health intervention work at San Francisco State University  stated that “Filipinos have relatively high rates of obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease” which are factors associated with more serious cases of COVID-19. In addition, almost one-fifth of registered nurses in California are Filipino, placing them at a greater risk when working on frontlines in hospitals and nursing homes (Wong). To read more about this, click here.
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COVID-19 Cases in the Philippines

The Philippine Department of Health logged an additional 2,103 COVID-19 infections on Friday, July 24th, 2020. This brings the total number of cases to 76,444 with 50,063 active cases (active cases are patients who are still undergoing treatment) (Hallare).

During a speech on Tuesday, July 21st, Duterte suggested that residents should disinfect face masks with gasoline. He stated, “At the end of the day, hang [the mask] somewhere and spray it with Lysol if you can afford it. For people who don’t [have Lysol], drench it in gasoline or diesel” (Barone). The Philippine Department of Health corrected the President’s remarks and suggested that Duterte was joking. To read more about this article, click this link.