(From left) Piolo Pascual, Angel Locsin and Iza Calzado. Images: Screengrab from Facebook/AKTOR – League of Filipino Actors
Members of the group Aktor (League of Filipino Actors) showed their support for the frontliners braving the COVID-19 pandemic through a video yesterday, Aug. 5.
Stars such as Angel Locsin, Piolo Pascual and Iza Calzado joined their fellow celebrities in reciting an open letter to the health workers, as seen on the group’s Facebook page.
“Ilang beses man kaming gumanap na doktor at nurse, hindi namin matutumbasan ang laki ng kontribusyon ninyo sa bayan, lalo na ngayong panahon ng pandemya,” the group said alongside the black-and-white video.
(No matter how many times we portrayed doctors and nurses, we cannot measure up to your contribution to the country, especially now during a pandemic.)
“Kami sa Aktor ay nagpapadala ng liham pag-ibig para sa lahat ng ating health workers sa frontlines—ang aming mga bayani,” the group added. “Alam naming hindi sapat ang mga salita, pero ito na muna sa ngayon.”
(We in Aktor are sending a letter of love to all of our health workers at the frontlines—our heroes. We know that words are not enough, but this is what we can give for now.)
The video starts by pointing out that 40 doctors and nurses died of COVID-19 on Aug. 1, and now around 3,300 health workers also have the disease.
While the actors acknowledged that they can never truly understand the frontliners’ plight since they are not in their positions, they thanked the health workers’ efforts to help the country.
They also appealed to the frontliners to continue working despite the hardships they face, assuring them that the artists are here to support them.
Days before the video’s release, over 60 medical societies in the country stressed that the healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the continued surge in COVID-19 cases, particularly in Mega Manila.
Following the medical groups’ urging to reimpose strict quarantine measures, Duterte on Aug. 2 approved the return of Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18.
The Department of Health reported 3,462 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the country’s total to 115,980. /ra
RELATED STORIES:
Ebe Dancel pens open letter for frontliners: ‘Biyaya ka sa akin at sa buong Pilipinas’
Angel Locsin to gov’t: ‘COVID po ang kalaban, hindi ang mamamayan’