Through the eyes of non-medical frontliners: social, political, and economic challenges of covid-19

The emergence of the Coronavirus Disease or COVID-19 across the globe yielded significant and critical impact to the lives of millions of people. In the Philippines, the national and various local governments have implemented the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and lockdowns in April 2020 to minimize the spread of the virus among Filipinos. To help the government enforce the regulations prescribed by the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF), medical and non-medical frontliners were deployed in various areas within a community. However, few studies have been conducted to examine the lived experiences of non-medical frontliners, particularly the challenges that they encountered in the discharge of their duties.This qualitative study examined the experiences of six non-medical frontliners in Bontoc, Mountain Province during the implementation of the ECQ and the lockdown period.Findings of the study disclosed that the challenges encountered by non-medical frontliners in the performance of their duties during the ECQ were classified as social, political, and economic challenges. The benefits that they gained in the discharge of their functions were categorized into (a) professional enhancement and (b) personal satisfaction.