Truthfully, one of the most difficult things about being quarantined is buying personal-care stuff like soap, shampoo and conditioner, tissue, body wash and deodorant. In the life we now call pre-ECQ, I would go to UP Town Center every week on my way home from work and visit Watsons to stock up.
It’s not just personal-care products. I get our family’s vitamins—Watsons Generics Ascorbic Acid and Conzace Soft Gel (the best multivitamin with zinc, vitamins A, C and E)—from Watsons. When my daughter was younger, I got her Growee Syrup or Cherifer PGM with Zinc capsules from them, too. My mom would always ask me to buy her Myra E 400IU, MX3 capsules and Strepsils.
Anyway, the ECQ has made me unable to go to Watsons and I have no EQ to go to the web site and order. I am not the person allowed to go out in my household and I certainly can’t ask my husband to buy my personal care items because he’d get the wrong things. There were many times when I wanted to get some products, vitamins and my mom’s regular medications but I couldn’t. I wanted the Sunglow by Fresh Sun Mist, which was part of a collection released by vloggers Rei Germar and Mae Layug. I also wanted Tender Care Soap and Nutrabliss by Watsons Tea. I wanted supplements like MET Tathione, NU Essence Collagen, Organique Acai Juice and Watsons Generics Malunggay + Mangosteen. We also needed Ascof Forte Syrup, Prosource Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, and Biogenic Ethyl Alcohol. I needed shampoo (Selsun Blue) and Watsons tissue.
OK, so there’s this long list of items that I wanted from Watsons and I didn’t know how to get them. So a friend told me to call the Watsons branch near her place (she lives in Teacher’s Village) because they deliver. I sent a message and within minutes, they replied. They asked where I lived and gave me the number of Watsons Novaliches, which was nearest to me. I sent a message to Watsons Novaliches via Viber and they asked me for my name, delivery address and phone number. My expectations were very low at this point. It’s ECQ, after all, and everyone is under a lot of pressure. But the service was excellent. I gave them the list of the products I wanted. It was a simple transaction. For some of the items on my list that weren’t available, I asked for alternatives and they gave it to me. The items were delivered to me in less than 24 hours and I paid the delivery person. I was asked beforehand if I needed change. The transaction was virtually contact-less and painless. There was no delivery fee for the first transaction because the amount I sent exceeded P2,000. I’m not sure if there is a delivery fee for orders amounting to lower than this.
You can also order online at www.watsons.com.ph or call select branches to have your orders delivered. For contact details of branches near you, you can check out this list at bit.ly/2YMTCT1.
Use your Watsons Card to earn points and get a chance to win a UV Care Deluxe Germ Terminator, Super Power UV Vacuum or Smart Robot UV Vacuum with a minimum purchase of P500 on select health items. The promo runs until June 24. For updates, follow Watsons on Facebook and Instagram at @watsonsph.
Calling Watsons for delivery is the best ECQ discovery that I’ve made. I’ve always been conscious about my health. I’ve been taking vitamins and supplements regularly and while I was able to stock up before ECQ, it wasn’t enough.
So what vitamins should you take for your body to stay healthy? Normally, we should get all our nutrients from our diet but we know that’s not always possible.
Here’s a simple guide (this is not a complete list):
- Vitamin C, a key antioxidant, promotes wound healing and iron absorption and improves immunity.
- Vitamin B1 helps promote a healthy metabolism.
- Vitamin B2 supports normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin.
- Vitamin B3 helps metabolize energy and promotes normal growth.
- Vitamin B5 helps energy metabolism and normalizes blood sugar levels.
- Vitamin B6 is important in proper nerve function and the synthesis of red blood cells.
- Vitamin B12 is important for metabolism.
- Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps the body form red blood cells.
- Calcium is essential for bone and teeth health.
If you cannot stand to drink many capsules and tablets daily, find a good multivitamin that packs a punch. I was not a believer in drinking vitamins before but I’ve seen my mom drink several vitamins and supplements for years and at 81, she is still strong and healthy. So yes, that’s my goal—to be healthy always.