After another late night address of the nation, many citizens took to the internet to talk about President Duterte’s statements. One in particular that stood out was when he talked about Chel Diokno and likened him to a janitor. Many people found this comparison to be condescending like he was using the profession as an insult.
As we all know by now, janitors are one of the front liners in the fight against COVID-19. They sanitize and keep places like hospitals and other health care facilities clean to be able to accommodate more patients and keep the spaces as germ-free as possible. Jhannah Capistrano felt the same way, taking to Facebook to express her thoughts on the matter.
She writes about her lolo, Samuel Capistrano, and how he started out as a janitor in the Central Philippine University. He eventually became president of student government and then made his way to found a nursing school, a direct reason why we have more nurses and health care workers now.
https://www.facebook.com/jhannahcapistrano/posts/10216036280487983
Whether a janitor turns into a “leader” or not, janitors are valuable members of society — especially now since they’re responsible for sanitizing hospitals, supermarkets, and other establishments functioning during this pandemic.
Janitors are front liners, too. And they shouldn’t be looked down on. “Huwag gawing insulto yung isang makatarungang propesyon,” she writes.
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