As a young leader, a Sangguniang Kabataan official to be exact, facing and dealing with a pandemic can be pretty challenging.
You cannot disburse your 10 percent SK fund just yet, but your constituents, even the young at heart, expect you to come up with various programs that will help alleviate the present situation.
So of course you do just that, staying true to your duty and responsibility of helping others no matter what.
It has been over two months since the COVID-19 virus hit the country and so many things have changed.
Suddenly, people have to stay at home, major activities such as town fiestas and sports leagues have been cancelled, leaving almost everyone on this planet yearning for the life that was.
There’s this anxiety that creeps up every now and then, but as a young leader, I try my best to fight this negative energy away by keeping busy through COVID-19 initiatives that will benefit the community.
In the City of Himamaylan, the 19 SK councils have been distributing anti-COVID supplies in the form of face masks, alcohol, vitamins and even dry goods.
Donning our SK shirts and personal protective equipment, we go from sitio to sitio, family to family, in hopes that we can extend as much help as we can to our fellow Himamaylanons.
The Federation, as a whole, also donated washable face masks to the City Health Office and the District Hospital, which are known to be two of the most-visited establishments in the city ever since the beginning of this pandemic.
We know that it isn’t much, but the warm smiles and the thank yous that we get from our recipients are enough to keep us going.
After all, they deserve proactive young leaders who are responsive to their needs; a government that genuinely cares for them.
Just like one of the lines that was said in the Tribute to Frontliners video of the SK Provincial Federation, I agree that “Someday, we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel and all this, will be one, great story to tell.”
Amidst the uncertainty and the fear that we feel every single day, there will be an end to all of this.
What will be left are stories of resilience and bravery that will be passed on from one generation to another.
But while we’re taking things one day at a time, let us hold each other’s hand and face this pandemic together.
