LIVE UPDATES: Filipinos Weathering the Pandemic with Grit

(Here's news you can use. These Filipinos show how to persevere during the most challenging of times. Yes, COVID-19 is still here, the dangers are real. Here's some inspiration while we all try to live with the virus. Last updated Oct. 19, 2020 -- editor.)

Makeup-savvy high school teacher Grace Esmaya carefully packs lip tints and blushes for customers of her Instagram store after a long day of teaching students online. She is a reseller, the less formal version of a franchise business that has become a lifeline for those who want to profit from an established brand. Read her story here.

Former IAXE frontman Jek Manuel parlayed his love for motorbikes into a new career as a Mr. Speedy delivery guy, hoping to ride out the pandemic and return to work abroad as a singer. Read his story here.

Filipino-American MMA fighter Mark "Mugen" Striegl pursued his dream of fighting in the UFC, not letting his COVID-19 diagnosis stop him. His training in Baguio City channeled the fighting spirit of the Igorot warriors. It's a path once taken by legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao. Read his story here. 

Biology professor Rodney Cajimat is helping students in Nueva Vizcaya deal with the anxiety of internet connections that are either slow or unaffordable, using an app called Conference Call. Read his story here. 

In between deliveries, Grab Driver Francis John Ax Valerio pursues his Communications Arts degree at Adamson Universirty, literally from his motorcycle, going viral in the process. Read his story here.

Short on cash to buy gadgets for his brood of four for their online classes, Rommel "Lemur" Enriquez, offered to barter his chickens for a cellphone. In the end, he got his mobile and kept his chickens. His experience also highlighted a flourishing barter economy. Read his story here.