How did some Pinoy ‘TNTs’ in NYC survive coronavirus

“Keeping an active mind has been vital to my survival, as has been maintaining a sense of humor.”

—Stephen Hawking

By Alex P. Vidal

ONE of the sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants is New York City, currently battling the COVID-19 pandemic as the “epicenter” in the United States.

Sanctuary cities are the favorite destinations of undocumented and overstaying aliens because they don’t strictly enforce the immigration laws, thus these cities are always overpopulated. 

Of the 53,928 dead in the U.S., 28,745 were from the New York State, as of April 25, according to the John Hopkins University.

Of the total 900,056 confirmed cases in the U.S., 437,000 were from New York State; 18,018 have recovered.

Most of those killed were Hispanics, followed by the blacks, followed by the whites, and the Asians.

For lack of available statistics (no available records from the Philippine Consulate as of this writing), the number of Filipino casualties wasn’t immediately determined.

The Hispanics dominate the densely populated Queens communities of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, and Elmhurst, touted as the “epicenter of epicenter” in New York City.

Based on 2014 census, the New York City-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area was home to 262,375 Filipino Americans, 221,612 (84.5%) of them uniracial Filipinos.

A large percentage of the population is the so-called TNT or tago ng tago, the byword for Filipinos who have overstayed their temporary visa.  

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How were they doing during the coronavirus savagery?

Cesar, of Catanduanes, said he immediately “stayed at home” when President Trump ordered an enhanced social distancing second week of March.

“Until now, I’m still here stranded in my apartment,” sighed Cesarion who lives adjacent the Elmhurst Park, or 200 meters away from the Elmhurst Hospital Clinic, where a big number of casualties for COVID-19 was recorded in March.

With no insurance and earning on “under the table” scheme, Cesarion said he made sure all family members were safe from COVID-19 by religiously observing the lockdown guidelines. 

Cesarion used to earn some $1,200 a week as a bodega stocker in Manhattan and feared he “might start all over again” if the bodega will no longer operate even after the lockdown.

Cesarion, 56, his wife and their three children toured the U.S. eight years ago and didn’t anymore return to the Philippines. 

Gilberto, 42, who overstayed his visitor visa in 2014, connected with his fellow TNTs in the community immediately when the lockdown order came.

“We realized if the lockdown would extend, we risk losing our jobs (in the restaurants and laundry shops) because these jobs are non-essentials,” confessed Gilberto, a former pastor in Sipalay, Negros Occidental and works as chef in a Punjabi restaurant on Queens Boulevard. “We needed to unite and constantly get in touch with each other.”

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Gilberto and 38 other fellow Pinoys, all TNTs, shared food supplies, including beer and lutong bahay pulutan (home-made viands) since March. “We didn’t violate the lockdown and stay-at-home guidelines. We cooked and brought the foods one by one to our kababayans in their respective apartments.”

Marlene, 38, of Pampanga, who overstayed her tourist visa two years ago, said she and her lady roommate, also a TNT, stocked essential food items like rice, biscuits, canned goods, noodles, water, juice, fruits before the lockdown in March.

“We had a difficult situation because my roommate had been exposed to a person positive of coronavirus; we had to observe the lockdown under a quarantine together,” bemoaned Marlene, an auditor in Lubao. “We relied on the prayers of our friends and relatives in the Philippines.”

Jeric, 46, a dish washer in an Indonesia restaurant, said he maintained a total of four vitamins: ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and fish oil “because I don’t want my family (in Marbel, South Cotabato) to lose a bread winner to coronavirus.”

“If I get infected and my body will be burned, even my ashes can’t go home to Cotabato,” Jeric said in jest.

Jeric, who has been a TNT for five years, said he “killed” his time by singing and watching movies in the Youtube inside his room.

Hernan, 40, cashier in a laundry shop in southern Brooklyn, said: “I always have in mind that we need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and we can’t afford to get sick because we have no (valid immigration) papers and our families in the Philippines will surely worry if they learn that we have been infected with coronavirus.”

Hernan, single and a TNT for nine years, stayed in his apartment in Woodside together with a fellow LGBT since March after the laundry shop where he works decided to close temporarily.

Hernan’s mom in Malate, Manila sent him money for his rent and food allowance “good for three months,” he said.    

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)