Transcom Tayo Stories in the Time of Pandemic - Hazel.

 She stayed with the company because of the extension of the HMO benefit to her only daughter and her parents. More than this, however, she also fell in love with the healthy working environment that she found herself in. “One of the most memorable experiences that I have in Transcom was when I joined the 1st team building with my 1st wave mates in customer service. It was a fun-filled experience!”, Hazel shared. Hazel feels more motivated now with her new responsibilities. She is very excited to gain more knowledge and improve herself so she can step up her career. Although she lives alone in Manila, Hazel has grown closer to her colleagues whom she considers as her second family.  She initially planned to visit her hometown (Bacolod) and spend some time with her daughter and parents come summer of 2020. However, with the implementation of lockdowns since March, she never got to realize this plan up to this day.  Far away from her loved ones, her colleagues and leaders have been her comfort and support to help her get through the days.  When volunteers were called to camp and work onsite during the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Luzon, she immediately signed up knowing that the income would definitely help in supporting her daughter.  As a single mother and breadwinner of the family, she hesitated at first about camping in as thoughts of being exposed to the virus and the uncertainty of the situation crossed her mind.  But all fears dissipated when she saw the kind of accommodation given to her and her colleagues and how she felt safe with the kind of care and security that were provided not only in their lodging place but also within the Transcom site.  She was thankful for the free accommodation, food, shuttle service, vitamins, hazard pay and hazard bonus which for her, were really of big help during those times. Today, Hazel is staying in the Transcom dormitory which was opened on June 26. Aside from being assured of safety and security, she took advantage of the opportunity for subsidized lodging because she could be with friends and will be able to save extra money for her family. Know more about Hazel’s story by reading her answers to our interview questions below. You may also watch her T: Stories via our Transcom Asia PH Facebook page.   With the build-up of COVID-19 scare, what steps did Transcom take to make its employees feel safe? After the government announced ECQ, Transcom advanced the crediting of our March 20 and April 2 salaries. Then, a communication was sent calling for immediate campers where we were provided with lodging, food, shuttle, vitamins, hazard pay and bonus. Also, Transcom offered work at home arrangement for employees that could not work on site, provided laptops, desktops and wifi routers. Lastly, "Kaagapay Fund" was provided as an assistance by Transcom Cares.  Did you feel safe working during the ECQ? How did Transcom maintain preventive measures on CoVID-19 at work? Yes, we had an available Security team 24/7 who made sure that everyone wore their face masks and face shields and that physical distancing was being observed at all times. They consistently monitored our health conditions and body temperature through the completion of the Daily Health Checklist. Our Facilities team also ensured that the facility was sanitized and clean. During the first few days of ECQ, what other things did Transcom implement to help its employees? Transcom made sure to keep everyone posted by providing updates before we start our shift and provided these updates as well through all our external communications. Are you satisfied with how Transcom handled its employees during this period? Yes, very satisfied. Transcom makes you feel at home even if you are working onsite and away from your family. In fact, on April 4, 2020, it was my daughter's 2nd birthday and due to this pandemic, I could not attend her party as the plane ticket I bought  going to Bacolod got cancelled. My leaders comforted and encouraged me to continue to do a great job for meeting my daughter's needs.  What’s your usual workday like? I'm used to being early going to work as we need to follow shuttle hours for pick-up time so that all campers will be accomodated. Onsite, we follow necessary safety and healthy precautions as we are closely monitored by the Security team and our leaders. Then right after the shift, we are ensured to be ferried back to our lodging homes to have sufficient time for rest.  What do you miss most doing outside? I miss spending my vacation leaves with my daughter and our family gatherings back in my hometown, Bacolod. On normal days, I would catch-up with my close friends, watch movies and travel to nearby beaches outside Metro Manila.  What will you do first after this is all over? Once the pandemic is over, I'll get another plane ticket and fly back to my hometown to hug my daughter tightly, play with her all-day long and catch-up on all the times I missed. I will call it a day, near a beach front, having family dinner and relaxing by listening to the oceans waves.  What do you look forward to after this event? And what are your realizations?   As the famous verse said, "The Lord giveth and taketh away", may it be our health, our wealth or even our loved ones. However, keep on trusting Him as He knows what He is doing even when things don't work out the way we hoped for. Remain grateful and thankful as He knows the plan He has for us, plans to prosper and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.