Piñol worries, but feels pride, for daughter at frontline of battle vs COVID-19

KIDAPAWAN CITY — What father’s knees won’t buckle at the sight of his daughter, clad in personal protective equipment (PPE), slumped on a chair, exhausted and spent from working non-stop in the battle against the conronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?

“Lord, please protect my daughter,” prayed Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chairman Emmanuel “Manny” Pinol after seeing a photo that was posted by his son Bernhart Immanuel of his sister, physician Josa Bernadette “JB”

Pinol, seated and leaning on a chair, all spent from grueling work as a frontliner at the St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City.

“Seeing the photo, I could not help but feel pity for this very fragile girl whose life is at risk because of her profession.

But at the same time, I am proud of my daughter, however limited her role maybe as a frontline worker,” Piñol said.

Josa Bernadette is on her second year at St. Luke’s for her fellowship in pathology.

“She represents our family’s contribution to the nation’s mission of protecting our people from the COVID-19 pandemic,” the proud father said.

And seeing her daughter in the midst of all that frontline battle, Pinol’s heart also went out to the other health workers who have been working roundthe-clock to arrest the spread of the pandemic.

“Lord, please help me protect my daughter and the other medical frontliners,” he posted online.

He also called on the public to rally the country’s frontline workers “by praying for them, and by following the simple quarantine protocol of staying at home during the lockdown and the quarantine period.”