Batchmates since preschool at Chiang Kai Shek College, Dr. Jayne Sari D. Tan (黃清渟) and Dr. Tracy Jill C. Ng (陳香梅) are still together, both now working at the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center.

The two doctors belong to CKS high school batch 2006, and both are Internal Medicine fellows-in-training, specializing in Nephrology.

Doc Jayne is but human when she mentioned that she, like most of us, feels emotionally drained because of fear of the unknown and of the possibility of contracting the virus and becoming a source of spreading it to other people. That's why her good friend, Doc Tracy, reiterated to us how extra-careful they have to be in dealing with their patients, who are probably considered the more vulnerable population now due to the pandemic.

Chinese General Hospital is one of the preferred medical institutions of the Chinese-Filipino community. And in recent times, there have been quite a number of positive COVID patients in the hospital. To keep themselves safe, Docs Jayne and Tracy follows proper safety protocols such as proper hand washing at all times, maintaining distancing, taking healthy supplements, boosting immune system with enough sleeping hours, isolating themselves after duty, wearing N95 mask at all times and PPEs, if needed. Truly, these are simple procedures yet very important, especially for medical frontliners like them.

Doc Tracy mentioned, in all honesty, that no one is truly safe from this pandemic. And like Doc Jayne, she admitted being worried as well. But as healthcare workers, both agreed that they have to attend to their patients especially during these times, not only because it is their duty but also their moral responsibility.

The two lady doctors attest to discipline and being responsible as the most important values that education in CKS College has imparted to them, thus helping them not only in their job but in life as a whole.

Doc Jayne, like most citizens, awaits the decision of President Duterte on the extension or gradual lifting of the community quarantine. But she reminds the Filipino people to have the right mindset and attitude regarding the gravity of the COVID situation, starting with the importance of staying at home as much as possible and social distancing, even if the quarantine is lifted. And of course, she encourages the cooperation of everyone for the greater good.

We asked the two doctors for messages for fellow CKSians.

Jayne: "It might be suffocating or stuffy right now because of what is happening all over the world but now is not the time to find faults, to be selfish or negative. Be compassionate to the people around us, it's hard but bear with it. The situation is already difficult so let us be cooperative with one another and work hard together to overcome this. And just hope for the best."

Tracy: "Everyone can do their part. I see people doing what they can during these trying times, donating medical supplies and gears, food, making extra effort, saying prayers, or just plainly staying at home, we can all contribute in our own way. During a crisis, it can bring out the best and the worst in us. I do hope it's bringing out the best."

Well said and well done, Dr. Jayne Sari D. Tan and Dr. Tracy Jill C. Ng. Keep up the good work, your CKS College family is proud of both of you!

CKS high school batch 2003 alumna Sharlyn Samson-Roque (王美仁) is a Registered Nurse (RN) since 2007. She has worked at the Intensive Care 土Unit of the Metropolitan Medical Center from 2009 to 2013, and at the Intensive Care Unit of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 2014 to 2018. At present, she is working at the Acute Care Unit of the Chi St. Luke’s Health Brazosport in Lake Jackson, Texas, USA.

According to Sharlyn, working as a medical frontliner is already challenging enough, and even more so nowadays with the CoVID-19 pandemic. The virus spreads easily and the fact that even in the United States, there are shortages of PPEs makes it even more petrifying since she is confronted with this dilemma every single working day.

But Sharlyn is ready to face the music - with befitting utilization of PPEs, eating the right kinds of food and taking vitamins, observing proper hand hygiene and, for her, a lot of prayers as her weapons in winning this battle. In addition, she learned the values of hardwork, compassion, love, and kindness from Chiang Kai Shek College, which honed her to be up and ready each day.

She quoted a verse from the bible, Philippians 4:6-7, which reminds her that God is in control of everything: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

She also reminded everyone to “ keep calm and carry on; this too shall pass.”

CKS College takes pride in recognizing its alumni who are air transport industry frontliners on-duty, despite the current community quarantine. While there are many CKSian pilots and cabin crew in the alumni roster, a few are given flight duties amidst the crisis.

Pilots:

• Eurico L. Chua (蔡榮華), HS Batch 1985 - Hong Kong Air Cargo
• Denise Laxamana (曾國友), HS Batch 2005 - Philippine Airlines
• Tyler Nicki M. Ong Tan ( 王奇祥), HS Batch 2008 - Lanmei Airlines Cambodia
• Kevin Darwin S. Ong (王光前), HS Batch 2008 - Philippine Airlines
• Jonas Y. Kua (邱峻煌), HS Batch 2010 - Vietjet Airlines
• Mitchell Bryan D. Tiujanco (張貽明), HS Batch 2010 - Leading Edge International Aviation Academy / Freelance Pilot
• Jurrick Jaysper Yu (楊為煌), HS Batch 2010 - Freelance Pilot

Cabin Crew:

• Joy Glendy Tan (施明汎), HS Batch 2004 - Philippine Airlines
• Rachelle Joyce Quang (林秀英), HS Batch 2005 - Philippine Airlines
• Vernadette Biado Wu (吳雲菲), HS Batch 2008 - Qatar Airlines
• Sherlyn Mae Chen (陳秋琳), HS Batch 2009 - Philippine Airlines
• Claudette Anne Chloe Chu (朱丽雅), HS Batch 2009 - Philippine Airlines
• Mikel Y. Villamora (高沛如), HS Batch 2013 - Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines, our country' flag carrier and the heart of the Filipino people, and some other airline companies continue their mission of transporting essential cargo from point to point, including medical supplies and equipment, donations from other countries, relief goods, even medical frontliners and patients needing air transport, and they are doing these activities even at operating loss.

Thank you! Your CKS College family is proud of you.

Jacklynn Angela Co (施慧靈) of CKS high school batch 2007 works as an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse in University College London Hospital (UCLH) in London, England (United Kingdom) since 2018. Prior to this, she had extensive experience working as a ward nurse at the St. Luke's Medical Center (SLMC) in Bonifacio Global City.

Just like in the Philippines, this has been the most challenging time for hospitals worldwide. In the ICU where Jacklynn is working, the normal 1:1 nurse-patient ratio in the care of a patient on a mechanical ventilator, the life-support machine for patients who are unable to breathe, has now become 1:2-3. In recent times, UCLH has been admitting patients requiring ventilators non-stop, forcing the hospital to convert its operating rooms, recovery rooms and wards to ICU rooms.

Apart from wearing full PPE gear at work and always practicing strict hand hygiene, Jacklynn has to look after her own health holistically in the face of this adversity, especially since she is living alone in London. To boost her immune system, she eats healthy meals and exercises at home. She makes sure to use social media to contact her family and friends in the Philippines as well, to keep her strong and less homesick. And above all this, she maintains her faith in God thru the power of prayer.

While pandemics like COVID-19 only happens once every century throughout history, she believes that it will come to pass and for her, it is a blessing to be able to help save lives during these unprecedented times.

She recalls being a CKS track and field and basketball student-athlete for 6 years, which honed her discipline, persistence, patience, and resilience.

The daughter of retired CKS College office staff Angelita Co, Jacklynn has only this message to say: "I am proud and thankful to fellow CKSian frontliners on duty saving lives. But as a matter of fact, each one of you are the real frontliners. Preventing the spread of the virus in the community is the FIRST LINE of defense. By staying at home, you save more lives. Let us stop Covid-19 together!"

Thank you, Jacklynn and keep safe there always!

Richard Koa Lim, MD, FHM (林俊荣) graduated from CKS high school in 1997 and has been a physician since 2005. He moved to the United States of America in 2009 to further his training in Internal Medicine. Since 2012, he has been working as a hospitalist, mainly doing night shifts (nocturnist). This specialty entails taking care of in-patients and admitting patients into the hospital at night when resources and staff are limited. Doc Richard works in 8 different hospitals around the state of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. His shifts would range from working 9 hours to as long as 16 straight hours. Aside from hospital work, he also volunteers as a primary care provider at the Rhode Island Free Clinic, providing free medical care to the uninsured population of Rhode Island since 2012.

Since the COVID crisis started, Doc Richard has been tirelessly working a lot and had less than 10 off-nights since February 8 to recover and rest. This is due to the increasing need for providers in hospitals, resulting from the surge of patients coming in as USA COVID cases are on the rise, especially in New York and New Jersey Cities, which are just 3.5 hours drive away from Rhode Island.

Recently, he also received privileges to volunteer for the largest health system in Rhode Island for COVID disaster, which is a cluster of 4 different hospitals.

Doc Richard has had many heartbreaking experiences, especially with family members not being able to see their relative in the hospital at a dying stage. The emotion that he felt during his patients' phone conversations with their family is something that he had never felt before, the hardship of losing someone you can’t see and bid goodbye.

With this novel virus, Doc Richard admits that there are no proven treatment and everything they know about treating and preventing it are mainly anecdotal.

On a personal note, he takes care of himself by eating enough nutritious food, exercising religiously, and sleeping at least 7 hours a day, if possible. He also takes Zinc supplement, which he believes prevented him from getting cough, colds, and flu in the past 4 years. Prior to taking it, Doc Richard gets sick every year since 2009. He hopes that by doing so, he would not get infected with the COVID-19 virus and he will be able to continue helping out until the crisis is over. Of course, he also wears PPE and observes proper hygiene as part of his normalroutine.

As a CKSian for 12 years, he is very proud of his formative years in Chiang Kai Shek College. He mentions how his teachers deeply enrooted in him the values of discipline, perseverance, and hardwork, which he continues to carry on today. He credits his alma mater for giving him the foundation that prepared him for another 12 years of education before becoming a physician. And now with this COVID-19 crisis, he is strongly facing the hardest challenge in his medical career, thanks to the character built by CKS College.

He also draws inspiration from his mother, Mrs. Julie Koa Lim (柯婉玲老師), a Chinese instruction teacher at CKS College from 1996 to 2018.

Dr. Richard K. Lim is a pride and honor of CKS College in the East Coast. May his star shines brighter more than ever.

Lenina Ryce S. Guerra (蔡宜君) of CKS high school 2014 started working as a Clinical Pharmacist at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City just this January, 2020. Still considered a trainee, her role is to monitor the appropriateness of a patient’s drug regimen and to make sure that all the medications are suitable to the patient’s diagnosis and condition, and being a newbie, this pandemic has turned her first job into a somewhat scary and trying experience.

Despite all uncertainties during these days of the pandemic, Lenina boldly goes to work everyday knowing the risks that she has to face. But as what she has learned in her many years at CKS College, one must be selfless and committed to his or her passion to serve those in need.

She expresses her deep admiration for her seniors, the CKSian alumni, who raise money through donations for food drives and other needa of frontliners and the suffering community, as well as those who sacrifice by simply staying home to help flatten the curve. She also takes pride in working alongside experienced frontliners, who are doing their best to help beat this virus.

Beaming with hope that humanity will defeat this virus soon and emerge from this crisis with more compassion and strength than ever before, she cheered: "Here’s to a better year ahead for all of us!"