By Hermes Joy Tunac
While certain famous people have faltered during these trying times with their misguided and inappropriate tweets, posts and Instagram stories, these local celebrity influencers have not only lent their star power to shine a spotlight on what could be the biggest threat the world now faces since World War II. They have also shown a great deal of knowledge about the situation and empathy towards fellow Filipinos, especially frontliners and the economically displaced.
We all know how it started. On March 17, President Duterte put the Philippines under a state of calamity, and the entire island of Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine due to the real and present dangers posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
What most of us don’t know is, several public figures, celebrities and content creators are using their digital platforms to raise not only awareness, but also donations for those whose jobs are severely affected or even threatened by such a drastic but necessary measure.
Some of the personalities who have taken the initiative to do online fundraising are actress Bela Padilla and vlogger AC Soriano. Actress Neri Miranda and comedian Pokwang have gone one step further, as they personally prepared food for frontliners in their respective communities.
Earlier this week, Bela opened a fund drive dubbed as “Pagkain para sa Pinoy” (Food for the Filipino). “The best solution I came up with is for us to donate. I set up an account, and whatever money we do raise, let’s split [it] 16 ways for the 16 cities of Metro Manila affected by this community quarantine. I will personally see to it that the money we raise will go to the right people,” Bela shared in a tweet.
The actress closed the fundraising effort at P3.3 million.
Meanwhile, content creator AC Soriano used his Twitter influence to collaborate with fellow creators in raising funds for people who are severely in need of financial assistance during these times. How did he do it? By spearheading a Twitter thread of accounts where people can donate any amount. He also updated the thread regularly by showing the accumulated amount of donations and the list of beneficiaries.
As of this writing, AC, along with other influencers, raised a total of P 456,791.
Moreover, actress and comedian Pokwang personally prepared tuna sandwiches for the policemen and soldiers working at checkpoints.
In an Instagram post, Pokwang said, “’Wag mawalan ng pag-asa. Matatapos din ito. Kapit lang mahal kong kababayan (To my dear countrymen, don’t lose hope. This will all be over soon. Just hang on).”
For her part, Neri, wife of musician Chito Miranda Jr., prepared 800 rolls of Spanish bread and coffee sachets for frontliners working at Tagaytay Medical Center.
Neri, in one of her Instagram posts, showed her appreciation for health workers directly addressing cases involving people threatened by COVID-19. “Maraming maraming salamat po sa lahat nang nagtatrabaho sa lahat ng ospital. Lalo na po sa mga panahon na ito. Bayani po talaga kayo. (Thank you so much to everyone who is working in hospitals during these trying times. You are all real-life heroes).”
Other celebrities like Angel Locsin, Gary Valenciano and Catriona Gray are also actively using their social media platforms to show their appreciation for the country’s frontliners and help spread awareness with regards to the current situation.
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