Pacete: Covid-19 changes our lifestyle

Pacete: Covid-19 changes our lifestyle



HORRIBLE Covid-19 alters our day-to-day activity. When we wake up every morning, there is an iota of fear in our mind. We ask this question, "Is Covid-19 still harvesting deaths and continues to have more victims?"

Parents are hesitant to hug and kiss their children leaving for school. Employees going to their offices or field of work are very well aware of the three-meter social distancing. At the gate the security guard is there ready to spray your hand with alcohol or 'to shoot' your forehead with that gun-like thermometer.

When you leave your house you have to put on your facial mask. If you don't have one, you fall out of fashion and others think that you are not health conscious. In a jeepney, one man did not have a mask. He was the only guy not wearing it. He was obliged to use his handkerchief.

One five-year-old boy asked his mother, "Is he a hold-upper?" The mother was embarrassed but many passengers gyrated with mild laughter. The man removed his handkerchief, threw a sweet smile to the boy and said, "I am a security guard."

Inside the department store, the most sellable items are alcohol, bath soap and tissue paper. Drug stores do not have a stock of facial mask. President Duterte does not want Filipinos to panic but with the month-long "lockdown" scenario in Metro Manila, Negrosanons are also afraid that our malls here will run out of stocks of prime commodities. One grandma said, "This is not panic buying, I just want to be sure."

We pray that this virus will not stay long. Private offices and commercial establishments are already experiencing few transactions and less return of investments. Work is getting less and management is implementing "no work-no pay" policy. Government offices can survive but this survival cannot be forever.

Graduating students and pupils may not enjoy their commencement and moving up ceremony exercises. Those graduating with honors may not have the chance to show off their medals. Some schools may take the risk of having ceremonies. Relatives and friends from other places may come to hug, shake hands, and kiss the graduates. Can social distancing just be disregarded.

Our tourism industry will be hit. Manila and foreign tourists are prevented to visit our region. Healthy tourists may not want to take the risk of boarding the tourist bus for eight hours. Tour operators and tour guides may not want to mingle with tourists. Tourists going to our region may have visited other countries recently.

Candidates (local and national) having early "campaign" for the 2022 elections may hesitate to have their regional sorties. Their options are to appear on TV, radio or social media. They will be spending a lot for their local campaign managers. Local politicians will always find means to be near to their voters by distributing town-made masks and bottles of alcohol.

Churchgoers are also restricted to attend liturgical services... no more shaking for the sign of peace, no more chain hands for "Our Father," no face to face confession, no more kissing of the images of the saints... and probably the Sacrament of Eucharist can just be spiritually received.

Girl and boy friends can just have a "virtual" romance and the giving of gifts could just be based on "promissory words." Weddings could just be a simple ceremony where the bride is standing three meters away from the groom. "Kiss the bride" will be omitted and honeymoon could be delayed.

Husbands and wives should stay in two separate beds. If there is only one bed, the husband will occupy the floor. By so doing, there will be population intervention and what God has joined together have to abstain together.

There are already LGUs that do not allow ambulant vendors to sell their products and commodities during market days. Some local executives do not want "ukay-ukay" to be sold in public places. Ukay-ukay items are coming from different countries and they may have corona virus in them.

It may be funny but expensive. Some families simply order food for delivery. We do not panic but these are just necessary precautions. The situation is uncertain but we can always weather the storm with prayers. There will be an end to this because our God is good.

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