Before the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization, the term “frontliner” was quite unused in our daily conversations. Doctors were simply doctors, nurses were nurses. Cashiers, sanitation personnel, and food crew were cashiers, sanitation personnel, and food crew. Now, they mean much more than that.
The world has been quick to air the stories of the courage of our frontliners—how they don layers upon layers of obviously uncomfortable gear like armor into battle; how they brave the streets, exposed, just to get to work; how they fight against an unseen enemy head-on despite the fear of being infected weighing them down. However, there’s just simply more to these frontliners’ stories than what’s aired on the media. We have the story of a first-time father who missed out on the opportunity to be with his wife and newborn son, of a young and bright-eyed nurse who defied his parents’ wishes for him to leave his profession—these are the narratives The Frontliner Today seeks out and makes relevant to the public.
The Frontliner Today, in partnership with Food for Frontliners Philippines, is an online media organization whose sole aim is to document and feature the stories of our heroes of today. Founded in 2020 by Coleen Natividad and Serina Alonzo, the organization has been searching for frontliners with compelling stories to tell and lessons to share both to Filipino and international audiences.
For the latter half of 2020, The Frontliner Today is looking for frontliners from various fields to interview for its publications, as well as for individuals who would like to share their reflections during the ongoing quarantine period.
For the volunteer frontliners, the organization will be needing the following in the next months:
July 2020: grocery personnel
August 2020: sanitation agents (janitors, garbage collectors, and the like)
September 2020: military people (military men manning checkpoints and other military men frontliners)
October 2020: professionals in the field of mental health (psychiatrists, therapists, and the like)
November 2020: news reporters
December 2020: food crew
The quarantine reflections submitted to The Frontliner Today need not abide by any theme and could discuss any aspect of life and any topic under the sun. For those who wish to submit their expression of intent to be interviewed by The Frontliner Today’s Editorial team and those who have quarantine reflections to share, you may direct them to tft.editorial@gmail.com.
The Frontliner Today’s published quarantine reflections and frontliner features can be found at medium.com/@thefrontlinertoday.
Moreover, The Frontliner Today is also looking for potential partners for its advertising and affiliate marketing services for a minimal fee. Inquiries regarding the matter may be directed to thefrontlinertoday@gmail.com and business proposals will be sent to interested organizations.
The Frontliner Today is also looking for businesses who would want their job openings to be advertised online. Interested parties can e-mail them at tft.jobsearch@gmail.com. They also cater to organizational partnerships, which can be directed to tft.partnerships@gmail.com.
For more information on The Frontliner Today, you may connect with them through the following channels:
Facebook: facebook.com/thefrontlinertoday
Twitter: twitter.com/tftphilippines
Instagram: @thefrontinertoday
Article by Phoebe de Leon