Archives serve as the main institution that records and preserves important documents related to various social crises including the pandemic. They serve as repositories of stories, experiences, and human knowledge derived from the ability of individuals and institutions to develop an efficient response to address the challenges posed by the pandemic. From this, it is hoped that the collective memories that were gathered will be valuable sources and bases for writing research and history; crafting policies and laws; creating effective and relevant programs; and remembrance of hope and success.
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Archiving the Pandemic: Recording a Shared Humanity
The year 2020 would bring in new challenges the likes of which had not been experienced in recent memory. In the past, the trials inflicted on the Philippines by disasters, while devastating, were actually familiar. After all, storms, earthquakes occur every year. No one alive, however, could say that the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 was well-known territory.Practically everyone was caught unprepared by the global health crisis. While there had been epidemics before, the speed and strength with which the pandemic would spread could not have been predicted.
At the National Archives of the Philippines, the weeks after the first declaration of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) were filled with uncertainty. No one had ever gone through a lockdown before.
Little by little the Archives adjusted.
Nationally prescribed protocol was adapted to agency needs. Specific guidelines for NAP Operations and the handling of records in pandemic conditions were provided. Masks became everyday wear while disinfection of hands became a regular habit. In some cases, it was unavoidable that high-risk public activities were postponed or cancelled. Offices had to close as personnel were instructed to work from home. Public requests had to be serviced by phone or email.
Many NAP employees were already quite adept with social media and the many communication applications available. The Archives, however, had not used these channels on an agency-wide level. Much had still to be learned about virtual governance.
At first, message applications were preferred for organizational meetings since everyone was used to employing such applications for everyday inter-actions. Very soon it was time for moving into more advanced technologies like video-conferencing. Despite some initial apprehensions, the Archives’ employees became proficient in communicating through these enhanced platforms. Terms like “sharing” and “muted” took on novel meanings as everyone begun attending more virtual seminars.
It would be a short jump to actually migrating NAP programs to electronic and video-conferencing programs. Trainings were initially conducted on how to maximize the benefits of video conference technology. The Archives shifted to conducting virtual seminars and virtual technical assistance sessions.
The ASEAN Pandemic Response Archives (PhilPReA) is an initiative of the Southeast Asia Regional Branch of Archives (SARBICA) to document the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each SARBICA member-archive launched their respective program/project to collect pertinent records and documents related to their respective government’s actions to address pandemic concerns. Individual experiences were also gathered through oral interviews.
The records, documents, and other ephemera collected by the SARBICA member-archives constitutes the collective memory of the ASEAN Region during this pandemic.
