08/11/2022
PANDEMIC
This article is all about the pandemic, It was the third week of April 2020, five weeks since Metro Manila and other provinces were put under “enhanced community quarantine” (ECQ). Under ECQ, school and university classes were suspended, mass gatherings were prohibited, government offices were run with a skeletal workforce, businesses were closed except for those providing essential goods and services, mass transportation was restricted, and people were ordered to observe social distancing measures and to stay at home. The Philippine response to COVID-19 has been described as being one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world. Entire provinces and cities were put into lockdown, mobility was restricted, and the wearing of masks and social distancing were strictly enforced.COVID-19 has changed my daily life in many ways. At the beginning of the pandemic, we had to stay at home and were not allowed to go out. We had to avoid crowded places and wear masks when going out. Most shops and restaurants were forced to close. I miss going to the mall with my boyfriend and eating out with my family. I didn’t even go to school and hang out with my friends. To keep in touch with them, we created a group chat on Messenger. Online school is another big change. I had to move house because we were already an online class because there was no electricity in our house, my uncle decided to move house so I looked for a place to rent so that I wouldn’t be in trouble. While distance learning was surprisingly easy, the internet connection and my short attention span made learning difficult. Learning during a pandemic is a unique experience, to say the least. With some colleges holding all courses remotely and others trying a mix of in-class discussions and online learning, every student's experience so far has been slightly different.