SunStar December 30, 2020 WHAT happens to Filipinos whose line of work and source of income was not deemed essential by the government?
During the start of quarantine in the Philippines, there had been changes in the movement restrictions with emphasis on only those considered essential as paying the bills, going to the bank, buying food and medicine, and emergency transactions in the hospital. But many of our Filipino brothers and sisters get their income from industries not considered essential such as arts, culture, and crafts.
This became more challenging for artists as they had less and less income as the quarantine went by. During the first few months of the quarantine, visual artists would trade their paintings for essential goods as rice, grocery items, milk for their children, and others through the Davao Barter Community. It became a hit and it also gave opportunity for artists to be discovered and be hired for specific projects.