Netizens were touched and moved by the new video of the Department of Tourism (DOT) featuring the country’s frontliners against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DOT shared the video on its Facebook page Saturday amid the community quarantine in the Philippines.
The video starts showing the empty streets in Metro Manila and the people wearing masks and lining up in a checkpoint as the song “With A Smile” was playing on the background.
In her post, DOT secretary Berna Romulo Puyat said the song is a “much needed anthem at these times,” since it has “provided solace and comfort for many Filipinos over the years”.
“Filipinos are known for their smiles. During this time, though, we have had to hide them from view. But through our acts of compassion and kindness you can feel the warmth of those smiles, even behind masks and even when we are physically distant,” she added.
Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Benjamin Madrigal Jr. commented that the video “uplifts the spirit”.
“Better days are ahead, we’ll get by… with a smile,” another netizen commented.
The tourism official thanked those who permitted the use of their short clips in the video that were all sourced online.
She thanked the team who put it up and for Ely Buendia for his “generosity”.
Puyat also shared in the comment section that the singer is Bea Lorenzo, whose father and grandfather are both doctors.
The video now has more than 694,000 views on Facebook and with more than 23,000 shares, as of this writing.
