SUMMARY
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Around this time in 2020, a pandemic had been declared and the world was scrambling to control it. Quarantine rules were announced left and right. Airports and seaports were closed, businesses were shuttered, and Filipinos buckled down for what would turn out to be the world’s longest lockdown.
In the months that followed, we tried to adapt to life in a pandemic, and there were many adjustments to be made. Families had to find a new dynamic as they spent extended amounts of time together in their homes. Those living on their own had to navigate loneliness. Many people lost their jobs and had to figure out how to get by without a paycheck. Those who were lucky enough to keep their jobs had to learn new ways of working from home. Healthcare workers had the most difficult job of all, as hospitals overflowed with patients.
One year on, and the country is experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases while waiting for vaccinations to be rolled out to the masses. In many ways, it feels like nothing has changed, and the worst year ever is only just repeating itself.
As we prepare for what is turning out to be another difficult year, we look back at the previous pandemic year and ask various people to share what it has been like for them in a photo (or two).
Here are their stories:
Claustrophobic – mentally and physically stuck in a situation with no idea when we’ll get out. The pandemic is a struggle. A lot of adjustments had to be done – changed hobbies, increased workload, deteriorating mental health. I’ve been struggling to find the resolve to do multiple things like looking for work and looking forward to getting things back to some semblance of normal. Mentally, I’m still in March 2020 since this has all felt like a lost year. (Photo taken with Minolta X700 and Lomography Color Negative 400) – Janlor Encarnacion, banker based in in Quezon City
Janlor is a member of Born in Film’s Photo Nation International
It was on April 3, 2020 when Singapore announced the beginning of a “circuit breaker” that put the city state into a lockdown, along with many other countries around the world. For close to 2 months, the bustling streets of Singapore went silent.
This photo was taken early morning July 3, 2020, when the country was on its phase 2 of reopening. People were still very cautious. The usually jam packed trains filled with commuters going to work were almost empty. The man in the photo is the only passenger on the train besides me. (Photo taken with a Minolta x700 with MD Rokkor 50mm f1.7, Fujicolor c200) – Katrina Villareal, former respiratory therapist in Singapore, now based in Cebu City
Katrina is a member of Born in Film’s Photo Nation International
As someone who lives in the province of Florence, I was used to seeing crowds & groups of people just spending their time walking around the city center, until COVID-19 took that away. This is Uffizi Gallery, one of the most important and most visited museums in Italy. What was once full of tourists became grounds for soldiers who roamed around Florence during the lockdown. The usually noisy tourist destination, visited by the likes of Michael Jordan in the past, became eerily quiet. (Photo taken with a Sony a7 iii, Sigma 35mm f1.4) – Len Billedo, caregiver living and working in Florence, Italy
Len is a member of Born in Film’s Photo Nation International
These photos were taken while I was exploring by bike. With the kid on the hill, I was amazed at how people outside the city could still freely go out and connect with nature. At the same time, the image of the train taken at the Marikina Riverbanks showed how the world had stood still because of COVID. – Raffy de Guzman, Rappler graphic artist based in Rizal
This has been my (almost daily) view for the past year. It was meant to be a way to organize deadlines and other commitments, but that fell by the wayside, just like most 2020 plans. Instead, it’s turned into an unplanned altar of the things that helped me survive the past year – gardening, Pokemon, BT21, a face mask filter, notes from friends, and an s-hook that serves as a makeshift holder for extra lights when I go on-cam. No insight here – but I’m sure tired of staring at a cork board for most of the work day. – Bea Cupin, Rappler lifestyle and entertainment editor based in Manila
These are from a series of photographs I took around the house on March 14, 2020, two days after the first lockdown. These images truly bring me back to what I felt when I took it: the initial lull in my days, like a quiet little hum, the quiet sinking in of what would eventually be a mixture of anxiety and panic, amongst other things.
For most of my life, I’ve lived with scattered proportions of truly intense emotions. Chapters, even. In 2020, I woke up each day with a new emotion hugging me tightly. There was fear one day, but next time I’d wake up with optimism and drive, and it’s anybody’s guess what emotion I’ll wake up with the following day. Regardless of which emotion I woke up with though, I’ve learned to breathe through the abundance of quiet moments, the space to do things within the confines of my home. I finally found time to paint everyday, and read a new book a week and learned new things. I also got to have good, long conversations with friends (virtually, of course) who I haven’t talked to earnestly in years – and it felt so good. I did so many things I always had an excuse for previously.
2020 was this big shadow of a year and it was uncomfortable and often painful, mostly because I had to sit with myself and deal with emotions I was too busy to notice. It is curious to see my expansion emotionally, mentally, spiritually in 2020 despite being cocooned. I never want to live through a year like 2020 ever again but I am grateful for what I’ve learned. – Wiji Lacsamana, tattoo artist and illustrator based in Manila
There is beauty and madness to the quarantine period. This photo is a perfect representation of that. I was able develop my craft into a whole another level. I even got a chance to host the the very first Southeast Asian Drag Festival.
The pandemic did not stop me from being the fearless drag entertainer that I am. Despite the lockdown, I continued working on my advocacies for the LGBTQIA+ community, however, I still felt trapped due to the quarantine rules, symbolized by the horse in chains. – DeeDee Marie Holliday, drag artist based in Manila
If I were to sum up my year in lockdown with a photo, it would be this one with all the books I read in the past year. I read about 19 books in 2020, and almost half was consumed during the latter part of the year. This reflects, I guess, my state of mind. I usually pour myself into reading when things get real rough. The number of books I read is most of the time directly proportional to the level of stress and anxiety I’m dealing with. And what a stressful year 2020 was.
Oh and spoiler alert: It’s only almost 3 months into 2021 and I already read 4 books. – Jodesz Gavilan, Rappler researcher and writer based in Manila
The photo was taken at Dibulalan Beach, San Luis, Aurora on September 3, 2020. – Adrian Marin, surfer and small business owner based in Baler, Aurora
So much has changed over the last year but one of the things that never did was the beautiful sunsets from my bedroom window. Watching it happen kinda gives me comfort and hope that everything will pass and things are gonna be okay soon. I’m moving out by May this year (hopefully) to a new condo and I’m definitely gonna miss this view. – Jox Gonzales, art director based in Manila
– Rappler.com
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