Traveling Home in the Time of Pandemic

July 30 - San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

We've been locked up at home since March 16... it has been 4.5 months already. Although, Jun, En and myself may occasionally go out, but for Mama and the kids, Paula and Bella, they've been inside our residential premises only. 

Now, the record of Covid19 cases in Metro Manila has declined in July and the quarantine status has eased. Although travelling around the country is still restricted, most especially for those using public transport, private travel is still possible. On July 31, non-essential travels were permitted. So we decided to go home to Surigao province. We did it for 2 purposes, to rid of Manila's viral environment and for Mama and kids to enjoy the outdoors because our home province doesn't have strict quarantine rules (this turned out to be a misconception!).

 

In the last week of July, we decided to go home. En and Jun made all the preparations including primarily the medical certification and travel authority for all of us. En contacted our cousin, Len-Len Velarde, who have been assigned in the police checkpoint in Calbayog City. That would be the target place for our layover. Jun would need a break from a very long day drive. En also has booked our medical assistance upon arrival, because we need to get tested before the home quarantine, if tested negative, or the municipal quarantine facility which we heard was in the open gymnasium. 

July 31 - Bulacan to Samar

With 3am departure, we arrived at Matnog Ferry Terminal around 6 in the evening. Our passage in the provinces of Quezon, Camarines Norte and Sur, and Albay was swift and normal. The new normal was implemented in Sorsogon province, where all travel documents were checked. The authorities sealed all our doors with permit stickers. We were advised not to go out, on any point or place along the way, and tear any of it, otherwise we will be forced to spend a 14-day quarantine in the locality. 

We got a space in 8pm trip of the RORO boat to Allen, Samar. It was a struggle for me to try to piss in the adult diaper. Mama Dulcing had successfully held the urge until we reached Calbayog Police Checkpoint. There we were allowed to pass the night, close to the police station, as already arranged by cousin Len-Len. Another struggle was trying to get a sleep inside the car without air-condition. We almost ran out of fuel, so to turn the AC overnight would compromise our mobility.

August 1 - Samar to Surigao

After few hours of this discomfort, we decided to look for a 24-hour gasoline station in the city proper. We found one, so we finally rested in cooled air inside the car. But it was only for few hours, because we continued our journey south at 5am.

Our first official stop was in Tacloban to drop Paula. At 10am, we crossed the San Juanico Bridge connecting Samar and Leyte islands. The City Government had established a covid checkpoint at the foot of the bridge. There at the police station, we left Paula to wait. We need to push on to reach Southern Leyte before the last RORO boat to Surigao will depart. Although, the fetch was pre-arranged, but the City Social Welfare Officer was late. We petitioned earlier to have her home-quarantined but it was denied. So she will be spending 14 days in the government facility. We cannot personally deliver her to the designated facility because the city banned outsiders from entering or even dropping by any gasoline station. If we did, then we would be quarantined.

We arrived at the Benit Ferry Terminal at 2pm but the boat departed at past 5pm. Upon landing at Lipata Ferry Terminal in Surigao City, we were escorted by the Health Representative from our hometown. Our rapid covid test was originally planned to be in Malimono District Hospital but it was Sunday so we rerouted to the Provincial Hospital in Bad-as, Placer. I immediately contacted Kuya Louver, the lead Medical Technologist to assist us. He was already off in the evening but he arranged our test with his team on site.

We all got our negative test results after an hour. The Municipal Health Officer has agreed for our home quarantine arrangement. So we headed home.

August 2-16 - Anao-aon, Surigao del Norte

Day 1 (but officially Day 0) of our home quarantine. And our neighbors (except our immediate relatives) were complaining about our arrangement as a special treatment. So yes, this was utter discrimination! During the time of pandemic, even educated people become stupid when confronted with unknown fear.

But we survived our 14-day home quarantine (15 days actually because the 14th day fell on Saturday and the government office was closed) by spending 8 hours working from home, 2 hours fitness challenge, and more than average hours of sleep. Add to that the 30-minute daily monitoring and check up from the local health workers. Since we have plenty of relatives, we have ample supply of merchandise, fresh catch for cooking or grilling or just eating them raw, and food deliveries for snacks and desserts.

August 15th was our 14th quarantine day and no one among us show any covid symptoms. So our immediate relatives sneaked from the backyard to get in and celebrate our arrival. On the following day, my sister-in-law, Ate Melay, and my nephew, Entoy, blew a party with roasted pig and plenty other food preparations. We shared it with Ate's store crew and staff.

August 17 - Septermber 13 - Around Surigao del Norte

Home is where my heart is, always! First agenda would always be the visit to Papa Tantong in the cemetery. 

At home, there are plenty of friends to reconnect, various activities to attend to, and here felt safe and free; covid has not infiltrated... yet. Hence my diary was full:

• August 22 - Meet-up with Surigaonon BFFs: Nang Lolong, Liza, Juris and Anabelle

• August 23 - Attended holy mass in Sison Church and met Tiyo Mons Terry and BFFs including Jane

• August 27 - Our first attempt to climb Campo Langit in Villa Riza, Malimono but it was closed to mitigate spread of corona virus. Meet-up that evening with Fr. Julian and Mons Terry, again with BFFs

• August 28 - Grand Opening of Ate Melay's restaurant in Bad-as, Placer. Reopening of Kody's Bar, owned by another BFF Nang Alma, together with all the BFFs in Surigao. A slumber party followed at BFF Dupong's residence with Jane.

• September 1 - A surprise visit from fellow college instructors and gay friends, Windrow and Maui
• September 5 - Our second attempt to climb Campo Langit but we have no reservation and no medical certificate
• September 6 - Our third attempt to climb Campo Langit but our reservation was lost and we showed our medical certificate. Jun, En and myself were finally admitted. See separate blog related hereto.

• September 10 - Surigao City Fiesta celebration in honor of Saint Nicolas with BFFs at Aldonza residence

Then on September 14, En's project team were recalled back to work on site. So we flew back to Manila on the 13th.

More than Quarantine

History of Plague

When novel corona virus started infecting Chinese in the later part of 2019, I was reminded of the Black Death in the earliest century (1350). I remember how it was described in a historical fiction book series of Ken Follet, the Pillars of the Earth. There were recorded pandemics in 1817 (Cholera) and 1918 (Spanish Flue). Even in ancient history, plagues were recorded in the Bible and in various accounts of human history (https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/pandemics-timeline).

Then Covid19 was finally declared a pandemic in the first quarter of 2020 when it spread around the world, forcing governments to quarantine their citizenry. The Philippine Government commenced its hard lockdown on March 16, 2020.

Work from Home (WFH)

With traffic situation in Philippine's Metro Manila, where I spent at least 4 hours on the road to and from the office, I always wished for a work from home employment arrangement. With the lockdown due to health crisis, I was working from home.

I accomplished plenty of stuffs; completed several jobs at hand; written several manuscripts and project proposals. I was productive! I worked overtime unmindful of the clock. I mean, I have no choice but to keep on working because I did not have to leave my post to catch the bus, to worry about the heavy traffic, to get home after several hours. My "home office" which utilized our bamboo cottage was just a few steps away, so most of the time was spent on working.

It was enjoyable at first, for the 40-day enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). Then the lockdown order dragged on for another 30 days.

Cancelled Trips

Having obtained an approved Visitor's Visa for Australia, I have pre-booked all my travel essentials. I was scheduled to travel from Melbourne to Uluru to Sydney on April 3-13, 2020. Since both Australia and Philippines grounded all domestic and international flights for non-essential travels, I was forced to cancel my trip.

Every month of May, since the death of our father, the whole family travel home to Anao-aon, Surigao del Norte to reunite with the Gastardo Clan to celebrate Papa Tantong's death anniversary on May 15th. All flight bookings were reserved and paid. Since ECQ was extended, this too was canceled.

June was supposedly the Surigaonon Friends' second group tour of the year (the first was in January at Bantayan Island). A friend from US would be flying in, and friends from Surigao would travel to Manila to reunite with us here in Luzon, then head to Sagada in the Mountain Province. Despite the easing of quarantine orders, international and domestic flights for non-essential travels were yet suspended. And Sagada's local government was not accepting guests. So this reunion was postponed.

My dear mother Dulcing celebrated her 75th birthday this July. As planned, I would show her to Phuket, Thailand, her supposed second country during her birthday. Last year, I brought her to Hanoi, Vietnam. All were arranged both flights and hotel. And since Thailand and Philippines were not yet open for tourist travels, although at relaxed quarantine status already, we canceled the trip and celebrated Mama's diamond jubilee at home.

New Normal to Commute

When Philippine government started reopening its economy from June 1, select transport resumed operation with strict health measures. I tried going out and commuting with an airconditioned public utility bus. Well, it was an experience of the new normal in commuting, where thermal scan is present (people with more than 37.5 body temp were denied entry), alcohol spray over hands, and some adjacent seats are marked X (to observe social distancing). Although my fellow commuters seemed at ease, I was feeling unsafe.

My way from San Jose del Monte in Bulacan to my apartment in Manggahan, Quezon City was okay. On my way back, however, a passenger from the back of the bus sneezed so loudly that everyone turned, eyes widened. Funny, that most laughed, but deep inside most of us were scared, knowing that virus could be spread by sneezing. I took a bath outside when I arrived home.

I did not try commuting again after that.

Home Fitness Challenge

I am an active person. I go to the gym almost everyday. I join fun runs during weekends. I climb mountains with friends every now and then. But the home quarantine psychologically constrained me from physical activities.

My sister and I tried workout routines and aerobics during nighttime but it was interrupted by nightly meetings and family movies. I accepted daily push-up challenge for 25 days, but nothing else. We tried walking either in the morning or afternoon, but intermittent. So getting physical has become very challenging here.

My Anxiety

I don't know how to define my anxiety level. Or I don't know if I have anxiety and how it manifests. Although, I have family and relatives who experienced anxiety.

What I observed however during the first 40-day WFH was that I drank hot coffee or tea many times a day. Then I slept late at night. It was not because I stayed late or worked until wee hours in the evening, but that I couldn't just earn sleep early; even if I lied on bed early.

Then lately, I easily got irritated with anything. Or it was hard to wake up and move. I have this feeling of entanglement; like being tied to daily routine within the confines of my home. I dreamt of going out, travel to somewhere. At the same time, there is fear of catching the virus. I could not just go anywhere without stringent precaution because I have elderly and children at home.

I realized that it is hard to stay put like forever. WFH for me is enjoyable if I am moving around, from place to place. Not just home...

My Two Cents on Financial Literacy

(Originally posted on April 5, 2014 in my Facebook page)

One morning, as I hurried out to catch the early bus ride that usually beats the traffic in the Cubao area, my cellular phone sounded its usual text tone. A message appeared from an unknown source when I opened it. It said: "It is hard to come up with a wage just to pay off the debt that is left over."

Perhaps a wrong sent item, but such is an enlightening message. It connotes that one wage-earner must not be overconfident of his / her regular pay, no matter how huge it would seem. As an earning individual, we have this tendency to avail of debt / loan, or buy stuffs especially cellphones on credit, or pawn our ATM card to afford some things at once.

I was once doing the same until I learned financial discipline. Yes I now have reasonably huge monthly earnings. I can afford to buy 40 ”TV in one month, then iPhone 5, iPad or Samsung Galaxy tab in another. But I don't ... I can't ... I won't. I have my priorities. 

Financial management is a sacrifice, an organized priority, and must consider the hierarchy of needs. For working individuals like me, we should program the spending in such a way that the first chunk of the money must be savings, say P150 / week, then for transportation and meals costs (to afford uninterrupted working days), then utilities (who would want to live without light and water, sans cable TV), then the extra, if any, will be for luxurious items. If one cannot even satisfy his / her primary needs, then luxury has no value yet. If one needs instead the luxury before subsistence, then he / she must redefine his / her priorities and start defining financial discipline.

Just saying. (I thought of sending this to that number as a reply but think better of it. Besides, it's a long reply that sounds like a sermon.)

Domestic Travels Before Lockdown

Bantayan, Cebu

This trip with hometown friends was supposedly the highlight of my birthday celebration. The whole gang was comprised of Nang Lolong and Nanan from Surigao City, Nang Rosshiel and Ruby from Taguig City, and myself. Our reservations at Budyong Beach Resort, in the most beautiful island in Cebu Province, was from January 9-12, 2020.

Nang Lolong and Nanan traveled by boat from Surigao to Cebu on the night of January 8th. If not because of the official trip to Singapore, I should have flown with Nang Rosshiel and Ruby from Manila to Cebu at midnight of January 8th. I tricked them; I only disclosed my official call to Singapore on the day that the four ladies were already reunited at Cebu's North Bus Station. So they went ahead with my instructions to enjoy the island while waiting for me.

As promised, I flew back on January 10th from Singapore and caught a connecting flight at Manila Domestic Airport that early morning of January 11th to Cebu. Now, another hometown friend who worked in Singapore as Head Nurse, Anneth, was at that night on vacation and was in Cebu as well. She decided to come with me to Bantayan Island for my post-birthday celebration. We took the bus together and arrived at Bantayan Island, reuniting with the advance party at lunchtime.

We had a blast and enjoyed the friendship to the highest level.

Upon return to Cebu on January 12th, Nang Lolong and Nanan went straight to the port area to catch their boat trip  back to Surigao. Nang Roshiel was on official business in Cebu, while Ruby and myself proceeded to the airport for the return flight that night.

Early that morning, Taal Volcano erupted and covered some parts of Luzon Island including Metro Manila with ashfall. It triggered the cancellation of several flights going to NAIA including ours. So, Ruby and I had no choice but to extend our stay in Cebu City. We looked for an affordable hotel close to SM Cebu and the airport to pass one night. But the cancellation was dragged on until January 15th, the earliest for rebooked flights. January 15 is a big day in Cebu, the Feast Day of Sr. Sto. Nino. Many pilgrims and tourists usually flock to Cebu for the Sinulog Festival. So room accommodations would be scarce and pricey. Fortunately, Nang Roshiel's accommodation was for the whole week and good for two that fit four persons. We have free accommodations after all.

On January 13th, while Nang Roshiel reported to work, Ruby and I visited one PSBank Branch so that Ruby could punch the day as official. She chose the Banilad Branch whose manager was our schoolmate during college, Delfin. In the afternoon, we decided to visit Simala Church, another pilgrimage site in Cebu Island.

Ruby got her seat in one of the January 14th flights, so I and Nang Roshiel were left. While Nang Roshiel reported again for work, I did a city tour via local transport.

My extended stay in Cebu was a blessing in disguise. Three destinations among my 2020 Travel bucketlist were ticked off: Bantayan Island, Simala Church, and Sinulog Festival.

Baler, Aurora

Our second time in this wonderful place was unplanned. My bestfriends, Ruth and Jun Go, decided to pay Baler a visit on March 7-8, 2020 for a very important purpose. They were able to close a deal of purchasing a lot along the beach in Dipaculao, Aurora, an adjacent town to Baler. The couple brought in the whole family and invited me and my whole family. They paid for everything including our one-night, two-day accommodations at Cube Hotel.

I acted as the tourguide and we drove around, surfed again, while they settled their obligations to owners, meeting the lawyers, and more.

Bolinao, Pangasinan

On March 12th, the Corona Virus have posted reasonable number of cases in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila. So our office declared a halfday work, and the government declared a lockdown starting on the 16th. Since all of us are working for the government, so we were free from Friday the 13th through 15th.

To realize another travel bucketlist of mine, I decided to bring my whole family to Bolinao, Pangasinan. I immediately booked one family room for a two-night stay at KNB West Villa. We enjoyed the place and we were able to make tours to Patar White Beach, Rock Formation, and Caves.

Cindy's Cave Eco-Park

Wonderful Cave

Enchanted Cave