MANILA, Philippines — A man who wore a “Spider-Man” outfit as he got his COVID-19 vaccine in Marikina City may have provided entertainment to netizens and those at the vaccination facility—but a deeper story is being hidden by the wall crawler’s mask.
Alfred Dizon recently went viral on social media as he received his COVID-19 vaccine while wearing a Spider-Man costume. He said he wore the costume to entertain the people at the vaccination facility.
But as a popular saying goes: “Behind every mask, there is a face, and behind that, a story”—and the same goes for Dizon.
Coping with struggles
Dizon is a 31-year old incoming fourth-year college student at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina.
He said wearing the Spider-Man outfit helped him cope with the struggles he had to face over the past couple of years, especially as he relates to the story of Peter Parker, Spider-Man’s alter ego.
“The real story why I wear Spider-Man [ay dahil] halos pareho kami ng story. I almost lost all of my loved ones, eto ‘yung naisip ko para mag-cope sa mga pinagdadaanan ko since 2019 and 2020 until now,” Dizon told INQUIRER.net.
(The real story why I wear the Spider-Man outfit is because we have the same story. I almost lost all of my loves ones and this is a way I can see to help me cope with what I have experienced since 2019.)
Like Peter Parker, Dizon also lost some loved ones in a short span of time.
Dizon’s grandmother passed away in March 2019 and merely five months later, they received news that one of his older brothers died by suicide.
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Dizon said his eldest brother asked to be accompanied to the hospital but nothing was found. In June 2020, Dizon’s eldest brother passed away.
The latest tragedy to hit the family was in December 2020 when Dizon’s father succumbed to a heart attack. The death came only a month after their family was affected by Typhoon Ulysses which struck Metro Manila in November 2020.
“I wear the Spider-Man suit so others will not see me sad and I want to see people especially the kids, it makes me feel good seeing other people happy despite this pandemic,” Dizon said.
“Gusto ko magpasaya ng mga tao, gusto kong magpangiti sa munting paraang alam ko kasi nakakagaan sa pakiramdam kapag nakakapapag-pasaya ka ng kapwa mo,” he added.
(I want to make people happy and make them smile even in the smallest possible way I can. It makes one feel better when they are able to make others happy.)
Moving forward
Dizon said he knows that things will not get better in an instant, but he gets his strength from prayers.
“I keep on praying kasi I know na despite (because I know that despite) all the bad things that have happened, God has better plans,” Dizon said.
“Lagi kong sinasangguni sa Diyos mga ginagawa ko especially itong studies ko na sobrang stressful dahil marami akong iniisip, I always put God first lalo when I’m riding my bike,” he added.
(I offer to God everything that I do, especially with my studies even when things are getting stressful because there are a lot of thoughts in my head. I always put God first, especially when I’m riding my bike.)
Today, Dizon would usually ride his bike, still in his Spider-Man outfit to protect himself from the sun’s heat.
“Huwag po natin kalimutang maging mabuting tao sa kapwa natin kahit sa pinakamaliit na paraan. At laging magpasalamat sa Diyos anumang sitwasyon ng buhay natin,” he said.