We Grow as They Grow: The Season of Green Sanctuaries

hardworking policeman, who works seven (7) hours a day but also a loving husband and great father of five (5) children. He is the father of Jianne Malonda, a GAS-A learner.

“This pandemic has been groundbreaking, an entirely unexpected sort of involvement that caused change within our lives. I suppose, we can go back to normal yet it’s uncertain that we will, in any case, be similar to what our lives were before this pandemic occurred,” said Malonda when asked how he can describe himself and the pandemic.

Since police officers are the ones who are in charge of checkpoints and respond to calls for police services to keep everyone safe, they are also ensuring that their families are not infected. After work, he continues to isolate himself from his family, even taking a bath before touching or hugging them. He also washes his hands frequently, wears masks and face shields, and keeps a social distance from others.

It is ‘fortunate’ for him to help manage crises in this country even though it is a fatiguing setup and numerous occurrences. In relation, when he goes to work, he is putting his life and health at risk, making it difficult for his family to ensure that nobody is infected.

“The pandemic and [the] current situation has been hard on us all and it hasn’t ended yet so we need to accept the circumstances for what they are and act with [an] aim and stay patient,” stated Malonda.

The front liners ensure that everybody is safe and healthy as they are trained and supported. They are risking their lives to make us safe, so we need to give importance to them. Let us pay homage to them and let us remain safe by staying at home and just go outside if it is a significant meeting. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that these front liners are heroes in disguise. From not only working just to provide necessities for their families but also working passionately and diligently to bring forth support, care, and safety for everyone. It is not just superman, batman, or even spiderman who are the heroes. In these times, it is essential to know the real heroes who fight for us and it is the front liners.

LEXINE RUST AND JAYVEE FORTUNO

THE PANDEMIC HAS surely made everyone feel that they need a whole new level of adjustment to take as students get to study at home either by online or modular modality, workers work at home, and others stay in their homes longer than they have ever been.

Green sanctuaries have been created in people’s houses. Photos of delighted plant parents and their leafy infants have invaded our feeds, where people found themselves being more protective and more caring than ever as they participate in the ongoing trend of plant craze where males and females that take care of their beloved babies, which are plants, are called “plantito” and “plantita”, respectively.

Some people prefer cactus in tiny pots, while others prefer indoor plants with large leaves. Others prefer edible plants, such as herbs and veggies. Plants are grown for a variety of reasons. There are different levels of being a plantita. Some have indoor jungles, while others have pots in the corner. With all being mentioned, some of our fellow UNCeans have engaged in this plant craze, as they share their wonderful experiences being one of the plantitas we have.

Blooming Daughters

Before the trend became viral, Genera “Ara” Hosmillo, mother of Shiara Mae Hosmillo, a learner from the General Academic Strand (GAS), has already been a loving and caring plantita. Ara had a moderate number of plants back then but after the trend boosted, she collected more plants than usual. With the plant craze going on, her number of plants grew because of her regular winning streak from online raffles causing her to win and have blooming daughters added to her existing collections.

When asked about her favorite plant among her collection, “My favorite plant of all is my expensive Monstera Deliciosa that I got at one raffle,” she stated.

Ara also mentioned that her unforgettable experience was the times where she won in every FB live raffle she joined and received plants as the prize. Repotting and seeing the plants grow served as her entertainment and stress reliever, indeed a chance to take a break from reality.

An Escape

Aside from parents who engage with the craze, we also have students who enjoy being plantitas. Babylen Belen, 17, became a plantita as she decided to take care of the plant given to her by one of her former classmates. According to Belen, she added the plant to her collection and found it as her breather.

“It helped me to become less bored, most especially when there were still no classes. It also became my breather whenever I felt stressed with my school work”, she added.

Belen also finds Orchids as her favorite because the plant is beautiful as the flowers bloom fully. She also loves her fruit-bearing plants like the tomato, lemon, and chili plant because they can be used for cooking any dish. Connected to this was her unforgettable experience where she had her first-ever fruit-bearing plant.

“There was a time when my tomato plant died because the pots were too small for it. It already produced some tomatoes but it was very small. It was my very first fruit-bearing plant”, Belen added.

Aside from their aesthetic contributions to our homes, houseplants also help in maintaining our health in many aspects. They have a relaxing effect on us, reducing our stress levels. Plants assist to bring nature and wide-open spaces into the home by reminding us of them. Plants also help to improve air quality in our homes by emitting oxygen while taking up carbon dioxide.

It is also scientifically proven that taking care of plants will improve someone’s concentration and productivity, and also boost their mood that results in good performances that helps as we develop ourselves. Taking care of such plants does give us the benefits, and gives us an avenue to know that we are capable of doing and letting something grow, where we grow as they grow.