The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first recorded in Wuhan, China in December 2019. In the local setting, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on January 30 this year, with a 38-year old female Chinese national. On March 7, the first local transmission was recorded in the country.
The National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby cities were placed under community quarantine. The government later on implemented a total lockdown in the whole Luzon, which affected businesses, works, and the overall “normal” the people are used to.
A lot of business groups as well as government agencies have implemented a work-from-home setup for their workforce to ensure their safety and wellness. However, there are some who are in the forefront of the line to combat the threat of COVID-19.
These are our health workers, soldiers and the Philippine National Police, food manufacturers and deliverers, and lastly our bank employees who continue to work to ensure that our financial needs are met during this pandemic.
We sometimes forget to thank the silent champions during this difficult time. Without the banking services they extend, it will be even more difficult to create a new sense of normalcy and comfort in our own homes.
Some of them are mothers and wives in their own homes. Even in this crucial situation, banking employees are still putting clients and customers in their top priority. This is the story of King Agreda’s wife.
“I just wanted to flex my wife, a front-line in the banking industry under the wing of BDO Unibank. I know that she really wanted to stay home & to take care of us in this tough time but her service calls her to serve & to help people. She consistently recognizes that throughout her activities, the customer is her (their) top priority,” Agreda was quoted.
For some, ensuring that the customers’ needs are taken care of means sacrificing a significant amount of time away from home.
“I’ve said this quite a few times during family events. Sa bank kasi nagwowork si Ate and madalas, pag kailangan siya kahit may party kami, nasa branch siya at nagtratrabaho,” Sasha Fabian was quoted.
“Now that we are in quarantine she still goes out to her branches or on-call, making sure that everything is OK. Nakakatakot I’m sure lalo na for her immediate family, bunso kasi si ate, pero di siya mapipigilan to do her work,” she added.
One of the banks which continues to provide services is BDO. Over the counter transactions, however, are suspended to ensure the health and safety of the employees. Nevertheless, online banking and ATM transactions are still available.
Time away from home is already a huge sacrifice, even more so in this health crisis. To all the frontliners, we sincerely thank you for answering the call of duty. The small comforts we have are all because of your huge sacrifices and hard work.
Express your gratitude for the services they provide by sharing your #BANKyanihan and @MyBankHero stories.