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5 Ways to Honor COVID-19 Frontliners on National Heroes Day

Sometimes, a tribute on social media just won’t do. Here are other ways you can say thank you to the healthcare workers braving the frontlines

This year’s National Heroes’ Day is drawing near (mark your calendars for August 31), and it’s apt that we take this opportunity to honor brave Filipino frontliners. Every day, they risk their lives to save COVID-19 patients in the fight against the novel coronavirus. These healthcare professionals, no doubt, are the modern-day heroes we need to celebrate and support.

Apart from those in healthcare, it should be known: frontline workers also include delivery drivers, grocery store employees, fast food crew members, essential goods vendors, government employees, food bank volunteers, warehouse workers and anyone who braves to leave their home to do their job. Non-medical frontliners working in the midst of the pandemic are heroes, too; they put their lives on the line just the same.

This paints a decent enough picture of who we’ll be thinking of on National Heroes’ Day. If you wish to honor them, too, scroll through and find out how you can show your support (on August 31st and beyond).

Extend monetary contributions or provide PPE donations.

An excellent and still viable option would be to raise funds for frontliners and help them secure needs for themselves and their families. Consider other essential workers like public transport drivers, too, or the immediate families of healthcare providers who’ve succumbed to the virus.

To get started, you can pool funds from immediate contacts. One upside here is that you don’t need to leave the comforts of home to get any of this going, so your reach knows no bounds (not physical, anyway). You can also donate to our frontliners through GCash as part of the platform’s #FightCOVID19 campaign. For more information, tap here.

Generously tip the essential workers in your community.

These days, people staying at home resort to online shopping or food delivery services as a coping mechanism for current events. With this, don’t forget to include a generous tip for the delivery men and women that send you your goods.

Whether it’s food delivery personnel, handlers at courier services, water refill delivery men or garbage collectors, make it a habit to leave a tip as a token of appreciation for their hard work.

Support campaigns that fight for fair wages and proper compensation for frontliners.

This one’s a given: nurses, midwives and other medical personnel are all hard at work during the healthcare crisis. Their work is made extra challenging due to a number of factors like needing to wear PPEs for an extended period of time, caring for both COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 patients, and enduring the state of today’s public transportation among others. But it’s worth noting, too, that they don’t get days off and usually have to deal with small salaries.

Given all this, you can lend your support by fighting their fight. Rally for fair wages and proper compensation. Support campaigns and echo the call for better pay through social media and raise awareness on the issue by calling out for others to join the plea.

Send food or treats to the frontliners in your community.

Participating in food donation drives dedicated to our frontliners is another option you can look into. Switch out your “thank you” notes and posts for food or treats instead.

If you personally know a healthcare worker, you can take time to prepare food for them and their team, as wll as arrange for a meal or two to be delivered to their workplace. While you’re having food delivered, treat the delivery personnel by buying them a meal as well. (This feature already exists in a number of delivery apps.) In addition, you can join and donate to volunteer groups raising funds to prepare meals for medical staff and other frontline workers.

Wear a mask, follow social distancing, and keep yourself healthy.

Now and then posts by frontliners with this quote make their rounds online: “We came to work for you. Please stay home for us.” This is their earnest plea for everyone granted that staying at home reduces the chances of viral transmission and the spread of COVID-19. This is still the best, most helpful way you can thank your frontliners.

When you do have to step out of the house, make sure to wear a mask and follow social distancing protocols, and practice regular handwashing.