SunStar + March 15, 2021 I WAS a young boy studying at the Itaas Elementary School in Muntinlupa when I first heard the concept of "bayanihan." My social studies teacher used the classic image of neighbors coming together to carry somebody's nipa hut to another patch of farmland to illustrate the idea. The diversity and challenges of modern Filipino life mean that this image of "bayanihan" may not be as relevant as it once was. However, the bayanihan spirit is thankfully alive and well. It shows itself in many ways and in many forms, and it has been in full display throughout the Covid-19 pandemic -- which is perhaps the most trying period that our country has encountered in this century.