ALDEN Richards has been on a roll lately with various projects coming his way. But this does not mean that he has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Like most celebrities and as a business owner, the Kapuso star experienced how this invisible enemy has taken a toll on various industries.
This is why Alden can relate to his upcoming project with GMA Public Affairs. Airing on Sept. 27, “Lockdown: Food Diaries” is a documentary that offers a glimpse into the lives of various workers in the food sector and highlights their courage and determination as they put their safety on the line just to keep the supply chain running.
“Lockdown: Food Diaries” is Alden’s first project since the lockdown that involved on-location shoots. And since the special was shot after the metro was placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine, Alden and the show’s production team had to deal with the challenges of shooting, making sure that they follow all the protocols of taping on location.
Alden, who was recently named as Department of Health’s Anti-Covid-19 Awareness Campaign Ambassador, notes of everyone’s “new normal” way of preparing to go out: “Before Covid, we’d secure our wallet, bag and keys when leaving the house. Now, we’re used to bringing with us our face mask, face shield and alcohol.”
In the docu, Alden features quarantine food trends. From burnt cheesecake to ube cheesecake, and sushi bake, he samples these “quarantine-born” food items. But beyond taking a bite of these sumptuous food items, Alden looks at how the pandemic has made a dent on the food industry, taking note of how Filipino ingenuity arises amid adversity.
Being a restaurant owner and a food chain franchise owner, Alden takes viewers to his restaurant and shows them the changes they had to implement to deal with the new normal. These included making sure the area has foot mats, disinfection zones, logbook for contact tracing, checking of body temperature, providing guidelines to dine-in customers, and observing physical distancing.
In doing “Lockdown: Food Diaries,” Alden also found inspiration from people who pivoted amid the pandemic. He said these people have shown him how no one should let the pandemic dictate our lives.
“We salute everyone who hasn’t quit in the fight of their lives right now. That’s when we see Filipinos willing to get their hands dirty just to survive and to be able to provide for their loved ones.”
“Lockdown: Food Diaries” airs Sept. 27, 3:45 p.m. on GMA Network. (PR)