Actress Jennylyn Mercado believes that there should be no room for complacency though there may be a low rate of COVID-19-related deaths among children.

“Lang??? (Only?) If you can’t even care for [one] child how can you care for all?” the Kapuso star said in reaction to a report she shared on her Twitter account @MercadoJen today, July 22. The report bears the education department’s statement which supposedly underestimates the statistic on children who died with COVID-19.

“Hindi ako magsasawang paulit ulit sabihin… Na Hindi sila numero lang. Mga bata silang nawalan ng pagkakataon na tuparin ang mga pangarap nila. May pangalan sila at mukha.
Bago sana kayo magsalita ng kung ano ano, konting sensitivity naman po lalo na sa mga namatayan,” she said.

(I will not get tired of saying this over and over. They are not just a number. They were kids who lost the chance to fulfill their dreams. They have names and faces. Before you say anything, please have a little sensitivity to those who grieve over their loss.)

“I can’t begin to imagine the pain of what it’s like to lose a child. My prayers go out to these kids and their families,” she added.

Later, Mercado expressed gratitude to hardworking frontliners, citing their unparalleled effort to help COVID-19 patients.

“Kamusta na ang ating mga (How are you) medical frontliners? Every day you put your lives in danger to help your fellow Filipinos. Alam naming pagod na pagod na kayo (We know you are all very tired). Words can’t express how grateful we all are for you. Salamat (Thank you).”

jennylyn mercado IG DOTS — Jennylyn Mercado. Image: Instagram/@mercadojenny

Mercado’s fans thereafter shared their views on the issue. One @amazingrayzzee believes that “They won’t care until it hits them; until they lose their own child. As long as it’s someone else’s unknown child, they will just be a part of the statistic. The show must go on.”

“Iyon nga di naman lumalabas ang mga bata may nahawa na what more if lalabas sila papunta school mas lalu dadami ang mga infected! Mas risky ang gagawin nila ok na iyong online school mas safe po! If may bakuna at wala na covid cases iyon ok na iyong face to face learning!” said one @onelab14.

(Those children did not go out yet got infected, what more for those children who will go to school, the numbers of the infected will further increase. It’s more risky to [go out], online school is safer. If there is already a vaccine and there are no more COVID-19 cases, then it would be okay to have face to face learning.)

Having the same thoughts as Mercado, one @catnipeverpink said, “’Lang’ ‘only’ they really need to be careful with their words when describing the number of deaths, ganyan rin sila sa DOH (Department of Health) so insensitive.” (They are also like that in the DOH, so insensitive.) JB

WATCH: Jennylyn Mercado, Dennis Trillo, Nar Cabico sing Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘Reasons’