A young child had to wrap himself in plastic just so he could give his frontliner father a hug on his birthday.

Lapu-Lapu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management chief Nagiel Bañacia shared the heartbreaking photo of Berto Makabali, one of the supervisors at the Nerve Command Center of the city, and his six-year-old son in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The post has since warmed netizens’ hearts.

Bañacia shared that Makabili arrived home late at night on his birthday last Wednesday, April 22, after a long day of transporting positive COVID-19 patients.

That same night, his longing son requested for a hug to greet him a happy birthday and celebrate after with a simple dinner.

“Pag uwi ko ng bahay di ko inexpect na magrerequest ang mga anak ko — Jilian (aking) eldest, Julian IV yung pangalawa — na gusto nila yumakap sa akin kasi pagod ako pag umuuwi,” Makabili told STAR in an interview.

He added, “Sinabihan ko na di pwede muna pero sabi nila ibabalot daw sarili nila sa plastic para lang makahug at ako’y nabigla sa kanilang sinabi kasi nung time na nagsisimula na kami mag-duty sa bodega na ako natutulog and sanay na sila. Pag umuuwi ako or pag aalis ako, yinayakap ko at hinahalikan sila kaya pinagbigyan ko na lang sila sa request kasi miss na nila rin ako ng sobra.”

Similar challenging and heart-wrenching cases also happened with other frontliner parents as social distancing takes a toll on their families during the global pandemic. (READ: Daughter wears trash bag as PPE to greet and hug frontliner dad on his birthday)