THE Philippines, so far, will likely enter the Guinness Book of World Records, for having the longest Covid-19 lockdown in the world. Frankly, I don’t see any rivals on the horizon anytime soon.
It started on March 17, and while there have been varying stages of lockdowns since then, technically, a general community quarantine, such as what we currently have in Metro Manila, still entails a lot of strict protocols (wearing of mask and face shield in malls, for instance) and a limitation on movement, although various local government units now have different curfew periods, I gather. Suddenly my joke prediction among my friends that we’d see each other after Christmas doesn’t seem unlikely.
So most of us have had to resort to certain purchases to help us cope through our pandemic feels, some of which can be downright depressing, especially for those who aren’t used to staying home for long periods of time 24/7.
My favorite pandemic purchase has got to be VPN and Hulu subscriptions, which has broadened my horizons in terms of streaming movies and more TV series. During the last US elections, it even helped me monitor other American news networks not readily accessible via our local cable TV. (Yes, I went for the somewhat radical, right-wing Fox News, just for comparison and to find out what their hoo-has were about, and ABC TV because the guests were former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, mouthing election commentary for the Republicans and Democrats, respectively. These guys were very sedate, actually, and more rationale compared to the sometimes noisy and irreverent commentary from CNN’s pundits.)
I asked friends (and family) what their favorite purchases were or the best purchases they made during this long community quarantine. Before they answered, I told them “no judgement”—as long as the purchase made them happy and helped them feel better while cooped up at home, either alone or with loved ones—they could say anything.
Dondi Limgenco (artist, communications specialist for a cruise line): “My best purchase is a Japan surplus Dell “mini” desktop, which came with an i5 Intel processor, which makes graphic design work faster, since I’ve been working from home. I also use it as a home entertainment system since it’s hooked up to my LCD widescreen TV. I bought it for P7,500; found it from the Facebook Marketplace.”
Lady Bess Howe (former hotel PR executive, now soap maker): “A favorite pandemic purchase is my Xiaomi robo vacuum. My helper wanted to go home to her parents in Bohol and my other helper couldn’t get back to us. So it’s such a big help with my household cleaning. It’s the BEST. And it doesn’t strain my back.”
Bernadette Romulo Puyat (secretary of Tourism): “I upgraded my Internet connection from Skycable’s broadband service to PLDT, then PLDT Fiber. I don’t get cut off anymore during my Zoom calls, teleconferences and webinars. Before, I was using my mobile phone provider’s hotspot for my 12-hour Zoom meetings!”
Jutes Templo (proprietor, Gino’s Brick Oven Pizza): “My favorite is the Tylr air purifier. It gives me more confidence that viruses are getting dissipated because it has a Hepa filter, used against the Covid-19 virus. It also has a UV And I have asthma so sometimes, I have trouble breathing.”
Cesca A. Policarpio (my niece and a bank marketing executive): “I bought a two-seater acacia dining table for my condo to help a friend dispose of her stuff because her restaurant had to close.”
Jing Garcia (cyber journalist): “With too much time on my hands because of the lockdown, I found some sellers online selling parts, jacks and cables cheaper than usual. Some parts, especially for my RC cars hobby, are normally expensive—from P5,000 to P50,000-plus. So now I found more time for my hobbies.”
I also have a few pandemic purchases pertaining to food that have been may favorites and will likely reorder again, such as:
Lengua pot pie from Francesca’s (IG: ph_francesca) in Roosevelt, Quezon City. I stumbled on their other pot pies (butter chicken and black pepper beef) on a friend’s Facebook page. He said they were good, but since he doesn’t eat lengua (ox tongue), he couldn’t assure me if the dish tastes equally well. Glad I took a chance and the owners seem nice. They sent over the lengua pie to me with just a small delivery fee, as I live basically across Edsa from where they were. The creamy mushroom and lengua combination is among my best food finds this pandemic.
New York bagels from MadBagels (Instagram: madbagels) in Greenhills. The bagels are light so even if I eat one entire piece, with smoked salmon and cream chives on top, it doesn’t leave a heavy feeling in the tummy unlike other locally produced bagels. I am guessing this is because the bagels are boiled the traditional way. According to a published story, the owner’s father passed away from Covid-19, but while ill he was craving for bagels. The daughter Isabel kept on experimenting until she got her bagels right. To honor one’s father this way is indeed a beautiful gesture.
We’ve all been trying to find ways to cope with this lockdown, and our purchases—large or small—do make a difference in boosting our mental health. And on the upside, it’s also helped a lot of people find outlets for their skills and talents, and put them on the road to entrepreneurship. So, bravo to that.