Dr. Hanle Yap (葉罕利) of CKS high school batch 1984 lives in Ontario, Canada, and works as an internist/geriatrician hospitalist. His mornings are usually spent in the hospital, while he holds clinic in the afternoons. But because of COVID-19 precautions, Doc Hanle can only do phone follow-ups with patients.

COVID-19 has tremendously altered the medical landscape. Doc Hanle mentioned that humanity has met not only an easily transmissible disease, but also a potentially lethal disease that does not spare the young, him included being 52 years young :). And continuing to do hospital work has become even more challenging, and a bit scary. But like most medical frontliners, Doc Hanle observes proper precautions, which hopefully will keep him out of trouble.

His normal day now starts with getting changed in the garage, nothing (except his mobile phone) from the workplace sees the inside of his home. He puts on his mask, work clothes, then proceed to the hospital, where he puts on goggles, face shield, gowns and gloves, as the situation mandates. The hospital where he works in currently does not allow visitors, so he needs to call family members of patients to give updates about the latters' health.

Coming home, all clothings are left in the garage, and he goes straight to the shower. Mobile phones are cleaned with viricidal wipes.

Doc Hanle believes that the toughest part of his job right now is trying to not get infected; and if infected, hopefully live through that infection. Everyone who signed up for medical work knows that they are putting their lives at risk as part of the job. Risks can be mitigated. Worldwide, there are very strong efforts towards finding a vaccine, and medications that will alter the course of this disease. This is certainly something to look forward to.

Decades after leaving the portals of his alma mater, Doc Hanle believes that the biggest lesson from his CKS College years is the lesson of community, strongly saying: "We are all part of a small group, our small group is part of a community, and that community is a part of the nation. The country suffers, “国家有难，匹夫有责", and we all have to sacrifice for her. All must do our part and heed the national leadership. If you are materially privileged, consider giving to charities and food banks. Even though your workers are not currently showing up for work, perhaps provide a partial wage to tide them over these uncertain and difficult times. For those of us who have less, staying isolated and physically distancing is a great contribution. Reach out to your extended family and friends, look after each other’s mental health."

He ended his viber interview with some words of encouragement. "As a Persian poet once said, 'this too will pass'. It might not be the same world we left in March, but whatever reality shows up at the end of the tunnel, we will adapt as usual, and I am pretty sure we will thrive. To all of us, stay safe, good luck and Godspeed."

CKS College wish you well and God keep you safe always, Dr. Hanle Yap.

We all remember Jan Bendric Co Borbe ( 陳有德) of CKS high school batch 2009 as topnotcher in the Physician Licensure Examination several years ago. Today, he is a first year resident in Internal Medicine at the Philippine General Hospital, which has been designated as a COVID referral center. As such, more than a hundred COVID patients are currently admitted at PGH as of the moment.

Barely three months into his residency, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Ever since, Doc Jan said that their schedules and roles has been changing on a daily basis as they try to adapt to whatever is needed. People don’t stop getting heart attacks or strokes just because of COVID19. The challenge now is to be able to take care of COVID patients while not neglecting the needs of other patients. Since the hospital staff is stretched out, one medical frontliner has to fulfill multiple roles that were previously done by different people.

According to him, the most difficult part of their job is taking care of patients, while carrying the physical and emotional burden that the virus has brought upon him and his fellows. Nevertheless, one always has to be able to deliver the best care regardless of the situation.

And because their job entails them to be at the battlefront where any patient could potentially be harboring COVID19, Doc Jan and the heroes of this war always have to stay protected, using PPEs even if they are working in non-COVID areas. In PGH and other hospitals as well, there have already been cases where patients appear to be completely well but turned out to be COVID positive. As such, presence of mind is of utmost important when handling any patient because one small mistake could get them infected.

One of the values that Doc Jan hold on to is commitment, which he has definitely picked-up from his alma mater, Chiang Kai Shek College. He stays fully committed to work no matter how challenging it gets.

Doc Jan allayed his fears, stating that being a doctor doesn’t make one immune to the virus. In fact, many of his seniors and colleagues were already infected. Some, unfortunately, have succumbed to the disease. While he is afraid, it is the commitment to serve that keeps him going.

Doc Jan would like to remind everyone to be calm amidst all that’s happening around, to stay home, and to practice proper hygiene. He also encourages everyone to reach out and help in whatever way they can.

You have never failed us and the Filipino people, Dr. Jan Bendric Borbe. Your CKS College is truly proud of you!

Some CKSian medical frontliners are just too busy and too tired nowadays that it is difficult for us to bother them for interviews about their work and life experience relating to the COVID-19 outbreak, especially since they need all the rest they can get.

And such is the case of our three "unsung heroes" in this post, all medical frontliners in different hospitals, all working and risking their lives during this crisis.

And what makes this post more meaningful is that they are kins, Dr. Jacqueline Racelis Salagubang (張寶蓮) of CKS high school batch 1983 is the auntie of Riza Alyanna K. Racelis (張美麗) of batch 2007 and Dr. Jan Ray C. Amargo (柯德志) of batch 2009, the latter two being cousins.

Doc Jacky is the hospital administrator of the Asia Medic Family Hospital and Medical Center in Dasmarinas, Cavite, where she is also an OB-GYN.

Her niece Riza is an outpatient medical technologist at the Philippine General Hospital, while nephew Jan Ray is an Internal Medicine resident doctor at the De La Salle University Medical Center, also located in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

To Jacqueline, Riza and Jan Ray, we know how tolling the situation is for all of you, we appreciate your hardwork and dedication. Always keep safe and be strong.

Dr. Susanna Tan (蔡欣美) of CKS high school batch 2003 is an infectious diseases specialist at the infection prevention and control department of a hospital in Los Angeles, California for the last two years.

Her job has always had its ups and downs but dealing with this unknown pandemic has become even more challenging. In between patient care, a large portion of her day has now been dedicated to meetings and local policy making to help deal with the situation.

As a result, they have instituted other mechanisms as guided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (USA), including setting up screening stations and converting many visits to telehealth visits. Her hospital logistics group has also been making sure that they have enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all their staff taking care of all types of patients, including those with COVID-19.

Doc Susana pays tribute to her alma mater, saying: "School serves an integral part in the life of a young child growing up, and I think many of my better values including my work ethics have been strengthened by going to CKS College, where I was fortunate enough to have had teachers who have been nothing but incredible mentors."

While she is worried about the health of her family members, she feels that it’s a blessing in disguise that she lives alone and does not have to worry about coming home to her elderly parents.

As to the nature of the virus and how she deals with patients having it, she mentioned: "There are so many questions about this disease that no one has the answers to. Researchers and scientists everywhere are working hard to come up with evidence-based knowledge such that we clinicians can applying it to clinical care, but it’s definitely a delicate balancing act of sifting through all the data and finding out which one applies to your patient."

Keep safe and stay strong, Dr. Susanna Tan.

A true-blue CKSian, Jamaica Jungco Ong, RN (許愛茹) studied preschool and kindergarten at the Wong Chun Seng Memorial Preschool, continued primary education and completed secondary education in 2009, and graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 2013, all at Chiang Kai Shek College. After passing the national licensure examination, she started working as a nurse in 2014. Currently, she is connected with the University of the East - Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center since 2016.

Jamaica relayed that there are times she and her fellow nurses would just cry out of exhaustion, which has become quite a normal situation for them with more and more cases of COVID-19 positive patients, PUIs and PUMs seeking medical advice and hospital admission.

Jamaica had just completed two full weeks of self-quarantine due to sore throat, which could have been a result of her overworking and exposure to COVID patients. But because of her strict observance of medical protocols, she has not been infected by the dreaded virus. She also believes that her faith makes her strong and prayers do really work.

Her strengths are teamwork, discipline, and trust in her colleagues, molded from being a former CKSian athlete. She trusts her team to make right decisions and works with them smoothly.

She considers nursing not only a job, but a passion as she values saving people's lives, more so during these crucial times. From actual work experience during this crisis, she dreads seeing patients pass away because of this virus, hearing agonizing stories of families left behind, crying because they can't even see the last moments of their perished loved ones, and not being able to give farewell rites.

To those reading her story, she has only this to say: "Spread the love. Please stay at home, enjoy that you are with your loved ones, make the most memories out of it. I pray for you and your family's safety."

CKS College also prays for your safety and well-being, Jamaica Ong! Thank you for being our hero.

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!